IV 

111TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 419 

Fostering resilience in African-American youth. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 7, 2009 

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida (for himself, Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas, Ms. 

EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas, Mrs. CHRISTENSEN, Mrs. 

NAPOLITANO, and Ms. LEE of California) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 

RESOLUTION 

Fostering resilience in African-American youth. 

Whereas all children around the world are born with the right 

to human dignity and the potential to realize their full 

capacities; 

Whereas approximately 29 percent of the American children 

under age 18 are African-American; 

Whereas 34 percent of African-American children under age 

18 were living in poverty in 2007 compared with 10 percent of White children; 

Whereas African-American children and youth are disproportionately affected by a wide range of health conditions, 

including poor oral health, asthma, violent injury, sickle 

cell anemia, pediatric diabetes, poor mental and behavVerDate Nov 24 2008 02:11 May 08, 2009 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR419.IH HR419

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•HRES 419 IH 

ioral health, HIV/AIDS, and health risks associated with 

obesity; 

Whereas compared to Whites, African-American children are 

12 percent less likely to have a consistent primary care 

provider and 26 percent less likely to have a physician 

visit during the year; 

Whereas increased physical activity, better nutrition, and regular oral care results in optimal physical development for 

African-American children and youth in the face of various health risks; 

Whereas African-American children and youth are disproportionately exposed to risk factors including poverty, failing 

schools, and neighborhoods plagued by violence, which 

often serve as precursors to unhealthy outcomes; 

Whereas African-American children and youth who develop a 

positive racial identity have a healthier self-esteem, which 

can serve as a buffer for acts of racism, discrimination, 

or prejudice, and reduces levels of depression, anxiety, 

anger, and participation in risk-related behaviors; 

Whereas supportive parents and caregivers, school, and community environments are critical in the promotion of 

peace and reduction of violence among African-American 

youth, as well as promoting the development of emotional 

skills to handle the diverse feelings that come from multiple stressors; 

Whereas African-American children and youth with a strong 

belief in their own academic competence, with high levels 

of parental involvement, and with engaging education 

professionals exhibit higher rates of academic achievement; 


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•HRES 419 IH 

Whereas communities that provide structured activities and 

positive adult interactions, such as access to high-quality 

child care and afterschool programs, lead to positive behavioral outcomes and better social adjustment in African-American children and youth; 

Whereas African-American children and youth benefit from 

holistic youth development programs that acknowledge 

the relationship between physical health and mental 

health and risk behaviors and attitudes; 

Whereas programs that build upon the cultural strengths and 

experiences of African-American children and families, 

and which acknowledge the importance of the family’s 

cultural frame of reference, have resulted in improved 

health and well-being; 

Whereas resilience is a dynamic and multidimensional process 

consisting of the interaction of strength, resources, and 

risks factors within multiple contexts, such as family, 

peers, school, community, and society, across space and 

time; and 

Whereas although a national legacy of slavery, cultural oppression, and ongoing racial discrimination places African-American youth at risk, they possess protective factors in their families, peers, schools, and communities 

and more importantly within themselves, including positive racial identity, self-esteem, and emotional regulation, 

that prove critical in terms of fostering their healthy development and encouraging resilience: Now, therefore, be 

it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) encourages research that promotes health 

3 and well-being among African-American youth and 


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1 seeks to understand the relationship between resil2 ience and the various types of development including 

3 physical, identity, emotional, social, and cognitive; 

4 (2) supports research that is integrative, inter5 disciplinary, and informed by the diverse cultural 

6 traditions and socioeconomic and sociopolitical expe7 riences of African-American communities, families, 

8 children, and adolescents; 

9 (3) endorses the development of centers on re10 silience that target optimal functioning and use 

11 basic research to identify processes that promotes 

12 resilience; 

13 (4) encourages incorporation of culturally rel14 evant guidelines and recommendations into requests 

15 for proposals for research and programming tar16 geting African-American youth and families by local 

17 and national funding agencies; 

18 (5) encourages increased collaboration across 

19 federal funding agencies involved in resilience re20 search such as but not limited to, National Institute 

21 for Mental Health, National Institute of Child 

22 Health and Human Development, Centers for Dis23 ease Control and Prevention, Substance Abuse and 

24 Mental Health Services Administration, and Insti25 tute of Education Sciences; and 


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1 (6) promotes interdisciplinary partnerships 

2 among physicians, mental health practitioners, edu3 cators, schools, community leaders, government 

4 agencies, and families to ensure adaptation, dissemi5 nation, and implementation of culturally relevant, 

6 evidence-based treatments that incorporate resilience 

7 strategies in community settings for African-Amer8 ican youth, families, and communities. 

Æ 


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