[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 70 (Thursday, May 7, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1097-E1098]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             FOSTERING RESILIENCE IN AFRICAN AMERICAN YOUTH

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                         HON. ALCEE L. HASTINGS

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 7, 2009

  Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Madam Speaker, as today is National 
Children's Mental Health Awareness Day, I rise to introduce a 
resolution highlighting the importance of identifying and nurturing the 
factors that contribute to the healthy development of African American 
youth, and their ability to achieve equal levels of physical and mental 
development enjoyed by their peers.
  Throughout my life and tenure in Congress, I have always advocated 
protecting the rights of minorities. I stand before you today to 
promote the strength, health and well-being of African American youth, 
who are faced with many adversities.
  African American youth are disproportionately exposed to many risk 
factors such as poverty, neighborhood violence, and a wide range of 
health conditions. These risk factors coupled with continued cultural 
oppression limit resilience in African American youth. Resilience is a 
dynamic, multidimensional practice involving the interaction between 
individuals and their environments within the context of family, peers, 
school, community, and society, across space and time.
  It is our responsibility to acknowledge and understand the legacy of 
cultural oppression and racial discrimination that African American 
youth encounter in their daily lives. In doing so, we must also 
research how these components relate to resilience and various types of 
behavioral and emotional development.
  Madam Speaker, this resolution is not only meant to seek support in 
this matter but also to generate awareness and collaboration toward 
resilience research among federal agencies and non-governmental 
organizations, such as the American Psychological Association, American 
Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Bazelon Center for Mental 
Health Law, and Mental Health America which have endorsed this 
resolution.
  It is vital that we provide the necessary tools to chart a path to 
success for African American youth.
  I urge my colleagues to join with me in taking a stand against the 
cultural oppression and racial discrimination that many African 
American youth encounter by supporting this resolution.

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