IV 
111TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. CON. RES. 53 
Recognizing the achievement of parity among African-Americans in computer 
science. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 12, 2009 
Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas (for herself and Mr. MEEKS of New 
York) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred 
to the Committee on Education and Labor 
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 
Recognizing the achievement of parity among African- 
Americans in computer science. 
Whereas the National Center for Education Statistics reports 
that since 1997, the number of black students receiving 
baccalaureates in computer science has more than dou-
bled, from 2,463 to 5,875; 
Whereas the percentage of blacks among computer science 
bachelor’s degree holders has been rising since 1998, and 
in 2006, blacks made up 12.4 percent of the candidates 
receiving those degrees, a proportion almost equal to that 
of blacks in the United States population, which is 12.8 
percent; 
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•HCON 53 IH 
Whereas in other areas such as engineering, blacks do not 
have parity, because they earned only 5 percent of bach-
elor’s degrees in engineering in 2006; 
Whereas the total number of students receiving degrees in 
computer science has shrunk by more than 12,000 over 
the past two years for which the Federal Government has 
data: from 59,488 in 2003 to 47,480 in 2005; 
Whereas computer science is the bedrock of a great variety 
of future technologies; 
Whereas the National Society of Black Engineers has more 
than 4575 collegiate members who have or are pursuing 
degrees in computer sciences since 2001; 
Whereas Clarence ‘‘Skip’’ Ellis, born in 1943 in south Chi-
cago, Illinois, is the first African-American to attain a 
Ph.D. in computer science; 
Whereas when he was 15, Dr. Ellis took a job at a local com-
pany and worked the ‘‘graveyard shift’’, during which he 
guarded and educated himself about computers, which in 
1958 were very uncommon; 
Whereas Dr. Ellis won a scholarship and matriculated at Be-
loit College in 1960, and he discovered that he was the 
only African-American on campus; 
Whereas Dr. Ellis graduated from Beloit College in 1964 
with a double major in math and physics, and he went 
on to earn a Ph.D. in computer science in 1969 at the 
University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana where he 
worked on one of the world’s first supercomputers, the 
Illiac 4; 
Whereas Dr. Ellis is a trailblazer who symbolizes persever-
ance and success in the face of seemingly insurmountable 
challenges; 
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•HCON 53 IH 
Whereas the offshoring of jobs, and the H–1B visa pro-
gram—which allows non-U.S. citizens in high-skill profes-
sions to live in the U.S. as temporary workers—are con-
tributing to salary stagnation in domestic technology 
jobs; 
Whereas to remain competitive, computer scientists must con-
tinue to innovate, learn new skills, and think creatively; 
Whereas enrichment programs for middle school students are 
of critical importance to retaining their interest in math 
and science, and an example of a successful program is 
the Summer Engineering Experience for Kids (SEEK) 
Camp, sponsored by the National Society of Black Engi-
neers, which since 2007 has included the participation of 
more than 900 third, fourth, and fifth graders; and 
Whereas the National Science Foundation, Department of 
Energy Office of Science, National Institutes of Health, 
and other Federal agencies are well positioned to increase 
the diversity of our Nation’s science and technology 
workforce through a variety of research and educational 
programs: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
concurring), That the Congress recognizes the achieve-
ment of parity among African-Americans in degrees con-
ferred in computer science and celebrates this victory 
among persons of color, especially during Black History 
Month. 
Æ 
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