IV 

115TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. RES. 746 

Supporting the goal and ideal of increasing the number of African American 

women and girls in the engineering profession. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 23, 2018 

Ms. ADAMS (for herself, Mr. KHANNA, Mr. LEWIS of Georgia, Mr. MEEKS, 

Mr. RYAN of Ohio, Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia, Mr. LIPINSKI, Mr. 

MOULTON, Ms. BARRAGA ́N, Mr. BUTTERFIELD, Mr. FOSTER, Mr. 

MCEACHIN, Mr. COHEN, Ms. NORTON, Ms. MOORE, Mrs. DINGELL, Mr. 

PRICE of North Carolina, Mr. HASTINGS, Mr. AL GREEN of Texas, Mr. 

BROWN of Maryland, Mr. TED LIEU of California, Mr. PAYNE, Ms. 

JACKSON LEE, Mr. LAWSON of Florida, Ms. LEE, and Mr. NORCROSS) 

submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 

on Science, Space, and Technology, and in addition to the Committee on 

Education and the Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined 

by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall 

within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

RESOLUTION 

Supporting the goal and ideal of increasing the number of 

African American women and girls in the engineering 

profession. 

Whereas National Engineers Week will occur during the week 

of February 18–24, 2018; 

Whereas National Engineers Week was established by the 

National Society of Professional Engineers in 1951; 


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Whereas the engineering profession has shaped and benefitted industries from health, tech, and transportation; 

Whereas the Royal Academy of Engineering has reported 

that engineering is a field that can contribute to economic development through many different channels; 

Whereas based on current trends, there will be 600,000 unfilled engineering jobs by the year 2020; 

Whereas a strong STEM education system is a critical element of creating a strong engineering workforce; 

Whereas among African Americans, Historically Black Colleges and Universities are responsible for graduating 50 

percent of all aspiring engineers; 

Whereas the most recent analysis shows that only 26.3 percent of engineering bachelor’s degrees awarded to African 

Americans were awarded to women, despite that fact that 

African American women outnumber men nearly 2 to 1 

in college; 

Whereas the National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering data shows that African American women are 

pursuing engineering degrees three times less often than 

their male counterparts; 

Whereas the National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering says that the number of African American 

women who graduated with an engineering degree has declined by over 25 percent over the last decade; 

Whereas the National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering shows that in 2015, less than 1 percent of all 

U.S. engineering bachelor’s degrees were awarded to African American women; 


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Whereas the dearth of African American women in engineering is a crucial area for improvement that has grave implications for the American economy; 

Whereas research shows that lack of visible role models in engineering, fear of stereotypes, biculturalism, tokenism, 

feelings of isolation, and pay inequities in the engineering 

workforce are all systemic factors in the decreasing number of African American women engineers; 

Whereas the celebration of existing African American women 

engineering talent is cited as a way to increase the number of African American women engineers; 

Whereas February 23rd would be an appropriate time to recognize African American women engineers; and 

Whereas Historically Black Colleges and Universities are particularly critical in meeting the challenge of cultivating 

more African American women engineering talent: Now, 

therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) supports the goal of increasing African 

3 American women in engineering as a way to promote 

4 economic empowerment and sustainability in the Af5 rican American community; 

6 (2) supports the designation of National Afri7 can American Women Engineers Day, as a way to 

8 celebrate and promote careers in engineering among 

9 African American women and girls; and 

10 (3) recognizes that strong collaborative net11 works and partnerships must be created with HisVerDate Sep 11 2014 03:05 Feb 24, 2018 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\HR746.IH HR746

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1 torically Black Colleges and Universities in order to 

2 empower African American women to make an im3 pact in the engineering sector. 

Æ 


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