[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 93 (Wednesday, June 6, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E782-E783]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




INTRODUCTION OF A RESOLUTION RECOGNIZING PEOPLE OF AFRICAN DESCENT AND 
                            BLACK EUROPEANS

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. ALCEE L. HASTINGS

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 6, 2018

  Mr. HASTINGS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to highlight a resolution 
that I have introduced with my good friends, Congressman Gregory Meeks 
of New York and Congresswoman Gwen Moore of Wisconsin. Our resolution 
recognizes the history and current situation of People of African 
Descent living in Europe and Black Europeans, and encourages the 
Secretary of State to take a number of steps to ensure their situation 
is improved following recommendations from the People of African 
Descent Week (PADWEEK) held by our colleagues in the European 
Parliament in Brussels, Belgium from May 13-17, 2018.
  As European Parliamentarian Cecile Kyenge has noted, ``The People of 
African Descent Week reaffirms European values by developing strategic 
and coherent responses to make our society more inclusive in the face 
of rising racial prejudice and violence across Europe.'' 
Recommendations from the week included a European Black History Month 
and Remembrance Day for Victims of Colonialism and Enslavement, a fund 
for Black European led initiatives to address continuing disparities 
and discrimination and support empowerment initiatives, European-wide 
strategies for the inclusion of People of African Descent, and support 
for transatlantic exchanges on common issues of racial prejudice and 
discrimination.
  The need for recognition of Black populations in Europe became clear 
ten years ago when I chaired a U.S. Helsinki Commission hearing 
entitled, ``The State of (In)visible Black Europe: Race, Rights, and 
Politics,'' where we learned that the situation in Europe is very 
similar to the one in the United States. While the presence of Blacks 
in Europe can be traced to enslavement, colonization, military 
deployments, voluntary or forced migration, the movement of refugees 
and asylum seekers, or educational and other professional exchanges, 
the story of Europeans of African Descent and Black Europeans still 
remains

[[Page E783]]

largely untold, rendering many of their past and present contributions 
to the very fabric of Europe unseen or forgotten, which is 
unacceptable.
  Mr. Speaker, on May 14, 2018, Congressman Meeks, Congresswoman Moore, 
and I had the pleasure of being U.S. Honorary Hosts during PADWEEK. I 
include in the Record, the statement we made to our friends in the 
European Parliament. It is my hope that when we gather in the years to 
come to review the efforts of the United Nations designated 
International Decade for People of African Descent, we will not only 
speak of how our efforts resulted in our respective nations publicly 
recognizing the injustices and long-term impact of slavery and 
colonialism, but also of how our societies reconciled these issues in a 
manner that ensured equal opportunity, access, and justice for all 
People of African Descent.

    Statement of U.S. Honorary Hosts: Honorable Alcee L. Hastings--
             Honorable Gregory Meeks--Honorable Gwen Moore


  HONORING BLACK EUROPEANS: PEOPLE OF AFRICAN DESCENT WEEK (PADWEEK), 
              EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, BRUSSELS, MAY 14, 2018

       I, Congressman Hastings, am extremely honored to speak at 
     the inaugural People of African Descent Week at the European 
     Parliament in Brussels, Belgium on behalf of myself and 
     Honorary Hosts Representatives to the U.S. Congress Gwen 
     Moore and Gregory Meeks.
       Ten years ago, on April 29, 2008, I chaired a U.S. Helsinki 
     Commission hearing entitled, ``The State of (In)visible Black 
     Europe: Race, Rights, and Politics,'' which featured then 
     Swedish Parliamentarian Joe Frans whom I am pleased is here 
     today.
       At that hearing, we discovered that Spanish poet Juan 
     Latino, Italian Duke Alessandro Medici, French novelist 
     Alexandre Dumas, German scholar Anthony William Amo, French 
     Composer Le Chevalier de St. George, British abolitionist 
     Oladuah Equiano, Russian General and Governor Abram Hannibal, 
     great-grandfather of Russian poet Aleksandr Pushkin and so 
     many others are largely unknown People of African Descent who 
     have made significant contributions to Europe.
       Whether the presence of Blacks in Europe can be traced to 
     enslavement, colonization, military deployments, voluntary or 
     forced migration, the movement of refugees and asylum 
     seekers, or educational and other professional exchanges, the 
     story of Europeans of African Descent and Black Europeans 
     remains largely untold, rendering many of their past and 
     present contributions to the very fabric of Europe unseen or 
     forgotten.
       A visit to Each One Teach One in Berlin or a tour through 
     the Black Archives in Amsterdam demonstrates that European 
     history is also American history. A history where from 1884-
     85, 13 European nations and the United States met in Berlin 
     to divide and occupy Africa. 2019 will mark the 100 year 
     anniversary of the first Pan-African Congress in Paris co-
     organized by African-American WEB Dubois to decolonize Africa 
     and end racial discrimination.
       Eric Gamer, Tamir Rice, Aiyana Jones, Trayvon Martin, 
     Michael Brown, Stephen Lawrence, Oury Jalloh, Mark Duggan, 
     Zyed Benna, Bouna Traore and the names of so many others 
     exemplify the fact that despite the significant achievements 
     and contributions of African descendants to our societies, 
     and their efforts to address the past, the protections, 
     rights and opportunities of European and American democracies 
     still do not wholly include Black people.
       Since that hearing in 2008, Members of Congress have worked 
     with European legislators and civil society to convene annual 
     events--from the 2009 Black European Summit held in this very 
     Parliament--to Transatlantic Minority Political Leadership 
     Conferences in the U.S. Congress, and particularly to address 
     political inclusion by co-founding the Transatlantic 
     Inclusion Leaders Network in cooperation with the U.S. State 
     Department and German Marshall Fund.
       I am pleased and honored to join with past and present 
     Parliamentarians and experts Cecile Kyenge of Italy, Claude 
     Moraes of the UK, Soraya Post and Momodou Jallow of Sweden, 
     Killion Munyama of Poland, Karamba Diaby of Germany, Joe 
     Franz, Chibo Onyeji, Simon Woolley, Larry Olomoofe, Daniel 
     Gyamerah, Rohkaya Diallo, Hedwig Bvumburah, Alex Johnson, 
     Karisia Gichuke, and many others whom we have worked with 
     over the years to address the common issues of racism and 
     discrimination we face on both sides of the Atlantic.
       On the occasion of the inaugural People of African Descent 
     Week, I encourage you to join in not only recognizing and 
     celebrating the collective history and achievements made by 
     People of African Descent in Europe, but also in acting to 
     ensure that our nations develop concrete measurable national 
     strategies to realize the goals of the United Nations 
     designated International Decade for People of African 
     Descent.
       In the United States we have developed many strategies from 
     the adoption and implementation of the historic Civil Rights 
     Act by our government to the nonprofit Urban League's annual 
     State of Black America report assessing racial equality 
     across sectors, including in technology. Google has partnered 
     with Historically Black Colleges and Universities such as 
     Howard University to address the digital divide. For decades 
     the United Negro College Fund has provided educational 
     scholarships, while Black-owned banks increase wealth-
     building knowledge and provide loans to communities 
     traditional banks have historically ignored. Philanthropic 
     organizations have partnered with local governments and civil 
     society to support young Black men.
       Even so, our work in the United States remains undone, and 
     we too could benefit from a holistic strategy.
       The European Network Against Racism with the support of 
     numerous African descent civil society groups across Europe 
     have called for an Europe-wide framework for national 
     strategies. In support of this effort, I introduced 
     legislation in the U.S. Congress to establish within the U.S. 
     State Department a Global Office of African Descent Affairs 
     to establish global foreign policy and assistance strategies, 
     fund civil society anti-discrimination and empowerment 
     initiatives, and monitor the human rights situation of people 
     of African descent in Europe in annual U.S. Country Reports. 
     Ifadopted, this legislation would complement European 
     efforts.
       I and my Congressional colleagues stand poised to continue 
     to work with all of you across sectors in support of the 
     rights and inclusion of African descendants on both sides of 
     the Atlantic.
       In both the United States and Europe, our nations are 
     becoming more racially, ethnically, and religiously diverse. 
     The test for our democracies will be whether we can truly 
     embrace and utilize that diversity to achieve the long term 
     prosperity and stability needed for our futures.
       Our hope is that when we gather in ten years to review the 
     efforts of the International Decade we will not only speak of 
     how our efforts resulted in our nations publicly recognizing 
     the injustices and long term impact of slavery and 
     colonialism, but also of how our societies reconciled these 
     issues such that equal opportunity, access, and justice have 
     been realized for People of African Descent and the rest of 
     our societies. Thank you.

                          ____________________