IV 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 256 

Recognizing people of African descent and Black Europeans. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 26, 2019 

Mr. HASTINGS (for himself, Ms. MOORE, Mr. LEWIS, and Mr. MEEKS) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 

Foreign Affairs 

RESOLUTION 

Recognizing people of African descent and Black Europeans. 

Whereas the 109th Congress passed H. Con. Res. 60 and S. 

Con. Res. 90, recognizing African descendants in Latin 

America and the Caribbean, raising awareness of the racism and discrimination faced by those communities, and 

leading to numerous public and private sector initiatives 

between the United States and Latin American and Caribbean countries to improve the situation of African descendants; 

Whereas the persistence of racism and discrimination in Europe similarly necessitates congressional action to raise 

awareness and promote public and private sector initiatives to stem this trend; 

Whereas the May 19, 2018, royal wedding of Meghan Markle 

and Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, raised awareness 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
2 

•HRES 256 IH 

of the long history and situation of African-descent populations in Europe; 

Whereas the terms ‘‘Afro-European’’, ‘‘African European’’, 

or ‘‘Black European’’ refer to people of African ancestry 

or descent born in, citizens of, or living in Europe; 

Whereas an estimated 15,000,000 to 20,000,000 Black Europeans live in and have long had a presence in Europe, 

forming an influential part of the African diaspora; 

Whereas the story of Black Europeans remains widely untold, 

rendering many of their past and present contributions to 

the political and social life of Europe invisible or forgotten; 

Whereas unlike more contemporary figures, largely unknown 

Blacks have made significant contributions to European 

history and culture, including 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, and Russian General 

and Governor Abram Hannibal, great-grandfather of 

Russian poet Aleksandr Pushkin; 

Whereas the largest estimated populations of Black Europeans can be found in France (approximately 2,500,000), 

the United Kingdom (approximately 1,500,000), and the 

Netherlands (approximately 500,000), in addition to sizeable populations in Germany, Italy, Portugal, Sweden, 

Norway, Ireland, Russia, Switzerland, Spain, Belgium, 

Denmark, and Austria; 

Whereas the presence of Blacks in Europe can be traced to 

voluntary and forced migration resulting from the geographical proximity of Europe to Africa and the Middle 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
3 

•HRES 256 IH 

East, including the transatlantic slave trade, the colonization of Africa and the Caribbean, African and AfricanAmerican military deployments, the movement of refugees and asylum seekers, and educational and other professional exchanges; 

Whereas although Black Europeans have made significant 

achievements in and contributions to European society, 

large numbers have and continue to be more likely than 

the general population to experience discrimination and 

be underrepresented in leadership roles in the public and 

private sector as a result of the color of their skin and 

ancestry; 

Whereas racism has long been, and continues to be, a problem in Europe; 

Whereas, on April 29, 2008, before the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, at a hearing entitled 

‘‘The State of (In)visible Black Europe: Race, Rights, 

and Politics’’, Dr. Philomena Essed stated, ‘‘Probably the 

only common European experience among many, if not 

all, Afro-descendants is their exposure to [. . .] racism 

and systemic discrimination, regardless of country, socioeconomic conditions, gender, age, or level of education.’’; 

Whereas, as early as 1997, the European Commission opinion 

poll entitled ‘‘Racism and Xenophobia in Europe’’ reported a ‘‘worrying level of racism and xenophobia in 

[European Union] member states, with nearly 33% of 

those interviewed openly describing themselves as ‘quite 

racist’ or ‘very racist’.’’; 

Whereas annual reports of the European Union Fundamental 

Rights Agency (EUFRA) and both the 2009 and 2018 

European Union Minorities and Discrimination Survey 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
4 

•HRES 256 IH 

(EU–MIDIS I and II), the first European Union-wide 

surveys of ethnic minority and immigrant groups’ experiences of discrimination and victimization in everyday life 

in the 28 member states of the European Union, found 

that persons of African descent experience high incidents 

of discriminatory treatment, racist crime, and victimization, and lacked an awareness of their rights, often 

underreporting cases of hate crimes and other forms of 

discrimination to law enforcement and human rights 

agencies, and that the situation has not drastically improved in the years between the two reports; 

Whereas, in November 2018, the European Union Fundamental Rights Agency (EUFRA) launched ‘‘Being Black 

in the EU: Second European Union Minorities and Discrimination Survey’’, and called for member states to develop specific solutions and guidance to address findings 

that 30 percent of respondents had been racially harassed, 5 percent physically attacked, 25 percent discriminated against at work or when looking for work, up to 

76 percent faced unemployment in some countries, and 

were experiencing high rates of discrimination in housing 

and in the justice system, including profiling by law enforcement; 

Whereas the Organization for Security and Cooperation in 

Europe Office for Democratic Institutions and Human 

Rights’ (OSCE/ODIHR) most recent 2017 hate crimes 

report found more than 1,608 racist and xenophobic incidents, including a number targeting Black Europeans, 

while OSCE reports in previous years found a number of 

deaths and violent assaults against people of African origin, and that persons of African descent are often targets 

of racist and antimigrant violence, especially in Eastern 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
5 

•HRES 256 IH 

Europe, yet in many countries hate crimes are underreported and, legal assistance and financial support for 

victims while recovering from violent attacks does not 

exist; 

Whereas prejudice and discrimination toward Black Europeans has also been linked to changes in immigration and 

asylum laws as a result of antiterrorism initiatives and 

the growth and mainstreaming of nationalist and anti-immigrant political parties and groups, including neo-Nazis 

and skinheads; 

Whereas the Open Society Justice Initiative in an initial 

2009 report, entitled ‘‘Ethnic Profiling in the European 

Union’’, and subsequent reports have found that police 

officers in the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Germany, 

and the Netherlands routinely use racial profiling, including targeting African descendants, when deciding whom 

to target for stops, searches, raids, and surveillance, leading to some of the first Europeanwide grassroots and 

legal efforts to end racial profiling in France, Germany, 

and elsewhere in Europe, and over a decade of pan-European antiracism and empowerment initiatives supported 

by Open Society Foundations; 

Whereas there have been numerous efforts by the public and 

private sector to address racial discrimination and inequality in Europe, including the introduction of antidiscrimination and equality laws that include the legal 

support for special measures or positive (affirmative) action, creation of equality bodies, media campaigns, and 

efforts to increase minority political participation, and 

campaigns to end the use of stereotypes and derogatory 

terms to refer to Blacks in everyday language, the media, 

and textbooks; 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
6 

•HRES 256 IH 

Whereas these efforts include the United Nations designation 

of 2011 as the International Year for People of African 

Descent and 2015–2024 the International Decade for 

People of African Descent in an effort to strengthen national actions to ensure that people of African descent 

enjoy economic, cultural, social, civil, and political rights, 

as well as promote a greater knowledge of and respect for 

their diverse heritage and culture; 

Whereas these efforts also include the OSCE Parliamentary 

Assembly’s (PA) adoption of Resolutions: ‘‘A Call for 

OSCE Action to Address Violence and Discrimination’’ in 

2016, ‘‘Addressing Racism and Xenophobia Affecting 

People of African Descent in the OSCE Region’’ in 2012, 

and ‘‘Strengthening Efforts to Combat Racism and Xenophobia and Foster Inclusion’’ in 2011 that included recognition of the International Year for People of African 

Descent, and calling for the OSCE to implement several 

strategic initiatives to address racial and ethnic discrimination in the OSCE region; 

Whereas, in 2011, OSCE/ODIHR held its first ‘‘Roundtable 

on the contemporary forms of racism and xenophobia affecting Peoples of African Descent in the OSCE region’’, 

and has since annually hosted antidiscrimination initiatives focused on People of African Descent including focused on hate crimes, women, political participation, 

strengthening civil society, and other issues; 

Whereas these efforts also include transatlantic meetings of 

Black and other diverse legislators held annually at the 

European Parliament in Brussels, Belgium, and in the 

United States Congress in Washington, DC, including 

the April 17–19, 2009, ‘‘Black European Summit: Transatlantic Dialogue on Political Participation’’ and adoption 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
7 

•HRES 256 IH 

of the Brussels Declaration on political participation; and 

subsequent ‘‘Transatlantic Minority Political Leadership 

Conferences’’; 

Whereas, as part of the March 24, 2011, Transatlantic Minority Political Leadership Conference (TMPLC), legislators and minority leaders from North America and Europe held a Parliamentary Forum at the European Parliament in Brussels, Belgium, to discuss a ‘‘Joint Action 

Plan on Racial and Ethnic Equality and Inclusion’’ between the European Union and United States; 

Whereas, in 2011, Members of the Transatlantic Minority 

Political Leadership Conference worked in partnership 

with the German Marshall Fund, the Department of 

State, and other stakeholders to found the Transatlantic 

Inclusion Leaders Network (TILN) to increase diverse 

representation in policymaking; 

Whereas, in October 2013, European Parliamentarians in 

partnership with the European Network Against Racism 

(ENAR) held ‘‘(In)visible Diversity’’ a series of debates 

in the European Parliament, including a debate entitled, 

‘‘People of African Descent and Black Europeans: Realities of Afrophobia’’ and in 2015 released the first panEuropean policy guide reviewing the current situation entitled, ‘‘ENAR Anti-Racism in Focus 2 - InvisibleVisible 

Minority: Confronting Afrophobia and Advancing Equality for People of African Descent and Black Europeans 

in Europe’’; 

Whereas, in January 2017, the European Network Against 

Racism published, ‘‘Towards an EU Framework for National Strategies to Combat Afrophobia and Promote Inclusion of People of African Descent and Black Europeans’’ to urge EU member states to adopt ‘‘strong and 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
8 

•HRES 256 IH 

specific policies to address Afrophobia, including its 

structural dimensions and impact on economic and social 

outcomes for people of African descent and Black Europeans, including in employment, housing, education, 

health, political participation, criminal justice and other 

sectors’’; 

Whereas, on July 25, 2017, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights stated, ‘‘The position of Black 

people in Europe needs to be strengthened, irrespective 

of whether it concerns recent migrants from Africa or already established Black communities [. . .] European 

states must first come to terms with their own past [including] publicly acknowledge that slavery, the slave 

trade and colonialism are among the major sources of 

current discrimination against Black people.’’, and recommended European states implement strategies across 

health, education, justice, employment, and other sectors; 

Whereas, in October 2017, the United Kingdom Prime Minister released the Race Disparity Audit ‘‘examin[ing] how 

people of different backgrounds are treated across areas 

including health, education, employment and the criminal 

justice system’’, which found inequalities in education, 

housing, income and employment, justice, and health between persons of African and Caribbean background and 

others, and has since published the findings online, appointed a Special Advisor, created a Race Disparity Advisory Group, and announced 90 million British pounds to 

implement strategies to address disparities found by the 

audit; 

Whereas, in 2018, Polish Sejm member Killion Munyama, 

Rapporteur of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council 

of Europe Committee on Equality and Non-DiscriminaVerDate Sep 11 2014 21:41 Mar 26, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR256.IH HR256

kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
9 

•HRES 256 IH 

tion authored measures that were adopted on ‘‘Promoting 

diversity and equality in politics’’ that identified challenges to political participation faced by visible minorities 

and due to skin color; 

Whereas, on May 13 through 17, 2018, the European Parliament and European Economic and Social Committee, 

under the leadership of European Parliamentarian Cecile 

Kyenge of Italy, hosted the inaugural People of African 

Descent Week (PAD Week) in Brussels, Belgium, in 

partnership with the European Parliament Anti-Racism 

and Diversity Intergroup (ARDI), Transatlantic Minority 

Political Leadership Conference (TMPLC), Each One 

Teach One (EOTO), the European Network Against Racism (ENAR), and supported by congressional Members of 

the United States Helsinki Commission; 

Whereas PAD Week featured over a hundred experts, activists, and policymakers to increase awareness of people of 

African descent living in Europe and to discuss solutions 

to address the racial discrimination and violence they 

face; 

Whereas Member of the European Parliament Cecile Kyenge 

stated, ‘‘In addition to honouring the history and contribution of Europe’s Black population, 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.’’; 

Whereas PAD Week final recommendations call on European 

Union institutions and national governments to specifically adopt a set of initiatives for Black Europeans, including— 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
10 

•HRES 256 IH 

(1) recognize past injustices and contributions; 

adopt a European Black History Month and Remembrance Day for Victims of Colonialism and Enslavement; 

(2) fund Black European led initiatives to address 

continuing disparities and discrimination, and support 

empowerment initiatives through the creation of caucuses, civil society funds, and fellowships; 

(3) adopt a Parliamentary Resolution and EU 

Framework for National Strategies for Inclusion of People of African Descent in Europe; and 

(4) support transatlantic exchanges to support common solutions to common issues of racial prejudice and 

discrimination; and 

Whereas in addition to EU institutions affiliated with PAD 

Week, international entities, such as the OSCE Personal 

Representative on Combating Racism, Xenophobia and 

Discrimination and OSCE/ODIHR Tolerance and NonDiscrimination Unit, EUFRA, the COE Human Rights 

Commissioner and ECRI, and the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, Special Rapporteur on Contemporary Forms of Racism, 

Independent Expert on Minority Issues, and Experts 

Working Group on People of African Descent, have documented ongoing racism and xenophobia, and racial and 

ethnic discrimination, and called for an increase in initiatives to combat racism and inequality and foster inclusion: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) encourages the recognition and celebration 

3 of the collective history and achievements made by 

4 people of African descent; 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
11 

•HRES 256 IH 

1 (2) reaffirms the importance of inclusion and 

2 the full and equal participation of people of African 

3 descent around the world in all aspects of political, 

4 economic, social, and cultural life; 

5 (3) recognizes that, as a result of their skin 

6 color and ancestry, many Black Europeans have 

7 wrongfully experienced injustices in the public and 

8 private sector; 

9 (4) welcomes parliamentary activities, including 

10 those of the European Parliament (EP), Organiza11 tion for Security and Cooperation in Europe 

12 (OSCE) Parliamentary Assembly, Parliamentary As13 sembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), and 

14 United States Congress, to engage in efforts to pro15 mote racial equality and combat racial discrimina16 tion through efforts such as introducing legislation, 

17 speaking out against racism, increasing the political 

18 participation of diverse populations through initia19 tives such as the Transatlantic Minority Political 

20 Leadership Conference and Transatlantic Inclusion 

21 Leaders Network, and working with Black European 

22 and other diverse communities to develop relevant 

23 policies; 

24 (5) urges European governments and members 

25 of civil society and the private sector, in consultation 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
12 

•HRES 256 IH 

1 with Black European communities, to develop and 

2 implement initiatives to combat racial discrimination 

3 and promote racial equality and inclusion in Europe, 

4 by— 

5 (A) drafting and implementing an EU 

6 Framework for National Strategies to Promote 

7 Inclusion of and Combat Discrimination to8 wards People of African Descent and Black Eu9 ropeans; 

10 (B) drafting and implementing anti-dis11 crimination, special measures, hate crimes, mi12 gration and integration, inclusion, and other 

13 laws and policies to address discrimination and 

14 disparities and promote equality, noting the rec15 ommendations of the United Nations Com16 mittee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimina17 tion, the Experts Working Group on People of 

18 African Descent (WGPAD), the European 

19 Union Fundamental Rights Agency (EUFRA), 

20 the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Con21 temporary Forms of Racism and Independent 

22 Expert on Minority Issues, Council of Europe 

23 Human Rights Commissioner and European 

24 Commission against Racism and Intolerance 

25 (ECRI), and the OSCE Personal RepresentaVerDate Sep 11 2014 21:41 Mar 26, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00012 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\HR256.IH HR256

kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
13 

•HRES 256 IH 

1 tive on Combating Racism, Xenophobia and 

2 Discrimination and OSCE/ODIHR Tolerance 

3 and Non-Discrimination Unit; 

4 (C) promoting and funding research, in5 cluding the collection of national census data on 

6 Black Europeans and its inclusion in the an7 nual reports of the EUFRA and other official 

8 reporting at the EU and national levels; 

9 (D) providing technical support, training, 

10 and funding to Black European civil society 

11 and private sector groups and experts working 

12 to combat racism, discrimination, and inequal13 ity, uphold basic human rights in Europe, and 

14 to increase economic opportunity and empower15 ment; 

16 (E) introducing national measures to 

17 counter stereotypical images of persons of Afri18 can descent, by revising textbooks, increasing 

19 efforts to include Black Europeans in history 

20 and heritage institutions, and remembering vic21 tims of colonialism, enslavement, and other 

22 atrocities; 

23 (F) developing or increasing financial sup24 port for funds to assist victims of hate crimes 

25 with legal assistance and compensation when 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
14 

•HRES 256 IH 

1 incapacitated due to physical or emotional inju2 ries; 

3 (G) developing specific initiatives that ad4 dress the special concerns of Black European 

5 men, women, and youth, including increasing 

6 initiatives related to migrants, refugees, and 

7 asylum seekers; 

8 (H) actively promoting racial and ethnic 

9 representation and participation at all levels of 

10 national, regional, and local government 

11 through the education of civil and political 

12 rights, including the legislative process and ad13 vocacy of legislative issues relevant to racial and 

14 ethnic communities, development of targeted 

15 professional advancement and hiring strategies, 

16 increased youth and community outreach, and 

17 self-organization and other empowerment initia18 tives; and 

19 (I) recruiting, training, hiring, and retain20 ing Black Europeans for professional positions 

21 in support of these initiatives; 

22 (6) urges the Secretary of State and Adminis23 trator of the United States Agency for International 

24 Development (USAID) to— 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
15 

•HRES 256 IH 

1 (A) provide technical assistance and other 

2 support for European governments and mem3 bers of the civil society and private sector to 

4 fulfill the initiatives described above, including 

5 by expanding United States Government efforts 

6 with the OSCE to increase the capacity of 

7 members of African Descent communities to ad8 dress discrimination; 

9 (B) increase support for the WGPAD and 

10 International Decade for People of African De11 scent; and 

12 (C) by establishing a Global Office of Afri13 can Descent Affairs within the Department of 

14 State headed by senior officials to develop and 

15 implement global foreign policy and assistance 

16 strategies to improve the situation of people of 

17 African descent around the world, create a De18 partment of State ‘‘Fund’’ to support anti19 discrimination and empowerment efforts by Af20 rican descent led civil society organizations 

21 around the world, and include a section on dis22 crimination faced by people of African descent 

23 in the Department of State’s Annual Country 

24 Reports Human Rights Practices, and working 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
16 

•HRES 256 IH 

1 with USAID and other United States Govern2 ment agencies to implement the strategy; 

3 (7) supports the adoption of a ‘‘Joint Action 

4 Plan on Racial and Ethnic Equality and Inclusion’’ 

5 between the European Union and United States 

6 modeled after similar United States agreements with 

7 Colombia and Brazil, and implementation of the 

8 OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Resolutions on Peo9 ple of African Descent and addressing racial and 

10 xenophobic violence and discrimination to assist in 

11 fulfilling the initiatives above; and 

12 (8) urges the Secretary of State and the Ad13 ministrator of USAID to provide a report to the 

14 Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on 

15 Appropriations of the House of Representatives and 

16 the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Com17 mittee on Appropriations of the Senate on Depart18 ment of State and USAID efforts to address global 

19 racial and ethnic discrimination, including any fund20 ing efforts or international exchange opportunities 

21 for civil society. 

Æ 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS