[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 41 (Tuesday, April 4, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E512-E513]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 ACKNOWLEDGING THE TENTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE DEATH OF RONALD H. BROWN, 
                      FORMER SECRETARY OF COMMERCE

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. CHARLES B. RANGEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, April 4, 2006

  Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the legacy 
and memory of Ronald H. Brown, the former Secretary of Commerce on this 
tenth anniversary of his untimely passing and to enter into the Record 
an article written to Ron Brown's legacy entitled ``The Constituency 
for Africa Remembers Ron Brown''.
  On April 3, 1996, Ron Brown and a 34-person United States delegation 
had concluded a trade mission to the Balkans and were returning to the 
United States when their airplane crashed into the side of a mountain 
in Croatia.
  Ronald Harmon Brown, the first African American to hold the office of 
U.S. Secretary of Commerce, was born in Washington, D.C. in 1941. He 
grew up in New York, and with the help of a scholarship attended 
Middlebury College in Vermont. He received his law degree from St. 
John's University, attending at night while working by day as a welfare 
caseworker for the City of New York. He also served for four years in 
the Army in both Germany and Korea.
  Brown, a strong, independent leader, was a lawyer, a skilled 
negotiator, a pragmatic bridge builder and a highly successful past 
chairmen of the Democratic National Committee. He brought this wide 
range of experiences to the position of Secretary of Commerce and vowed 
to reach out to our neighbors abroad to promote long-term economic 
growth that included

[[Page E513]]

rebuilding their industrial bases and working with small business 
owners and minority entrepreneurs to create and expand employment 
opportunities.
  Mr. Speaker, Ronald Brown was an exceptional individual with 
accomplishments too numerous to list. He left an indelible impression 
not only in the United States but in many countries abroad. As 
evidenced by the article that I submit to the Record, I join the 
Constituency for Africa (CFA), a U.S.-based coalition with interest in 
Africa, in acknowledging the many contributions made in Africa by the 
late Secretary of Commerce.

                    (March 31, 2006, Washington, DC)

            The Constituency for Africa Remembers Ron Brown

       Apri1 3 marks the tenth anniversary of the plane crash in 
     Croatia which ended the life of late Commerce Secretary 
     Ronald H. Brown and 34 others traveling with him on a trade 
     mission to the Balkans. The Constituency for Africa (CFA), a 
     Washington, D.C. based coalition of organizations, groups and 
     individuals with interest in Africa, acknowledges the 
     contributions made by the late Secretary in forging U.S. ties 
     with Africa.
       ``Ron Brown opened the doors to recognition of the 
     importance of the U.S.-Africa relationship, highlighting the 
     trade and investment opportunities, traveling to Africa and 
     supporting organizations seeking to educate, advocate and 
     build ties with Africa,'' said Melvin P. Foote, the Chief 
     Executive Officer of the Constituency for Africa. In 
     celebration of Ron Brown's legacy, CFA established a highly 
     regarded Ronald H. Brown African Affairs series during 
     Congressional Black Caucus Week which features speakers and 
     seminars on critical issues confronting Africa, including 
     issues of health, agriculture, energy and trade.
       ``The term, `Africa matters' was used by the National 
     Summit on Africa and many other events over recent years, but 
     was first used in a major speech by Ron Brown. He truly put 
     the spotlight on Africa's potential for the Clinton 
     Administration. He got American companies who would never 
     have considered trading and investing, to take a closer look. 
     He also elevated the African diplomatic corps and Africa 
     focused organizations by engaging them in dialogue and 
     showing them the respect he believed they deserved,'' 
     reflected Leonard Robinson, President of the Africa Society 
     of the National Summit on Africa.
       Ron Brown was the first African-American chairman of the 
     Democratic National Committee and the first to travel to sub-
     Saharan Africa. During that trip in 1990 he talked about 
     political development, but also the importance of trade and 
     investment. Later, when he became Secretary of Commerce, he 
     made good on his belief in the importance of economic 
     development and commercial ties by leading numerous trade 
     missions to Africa including one to South Africa a few days 
     after sanctions were lifted by the U.S.; he opened a U.S. 
     commercial center in South Africa, now named after him; 
     opened and expanded commercial offices in regional hubs 
     throughout Africa; supported passage of the Africa Growth and 
     Opportunity Act; rallied other U.S. Government Agencies 
     around Africa issues and invited senior officials from those 
     agencies to travel with him to Africa and to develop 
     solutions to problems in a cooperative manner. He helped to 
     create the Corporate Council on Africa and remained a loyal 
     supporter during his tenure as Commerce Secretary.
       Michael Brown, Board Member of CFA, lobbyist and candidate 
     for Mayor of Washington, DC, reflected on his father's 
     travels to Africa. ``My father is still remembered in many 
     places in Africa. Fellows from the Ron Brown Institute based 
     in Pretoria have been interns in companies in southern 
     Africa. Small and medium sized companies go to the Ron Brown 
     Commercial Center in Johannesburg for help with their 
     commercial transactions. He introduced us to the benefits of 
     commercial diplomacy.''
       The Constituency for Africa is a non-profit and non-
     governmental organization based in Washington, DC, that 
     focuses on advocacy and educational initiatives directed at 
     U.S. Africa policy. CFA's mission is to advocate, educate, 
     inspire, act upon and inform its constituency about issues, 
     concerns and challenges impacting the quality of life for the 
     nations of Africa.

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