•HRES 615 IH 
acies of enslavement, the transatlantic slave trade, colo-
nialism and successive racially discriminatory policies and 
systems, and to seek reparatory justice’’; 
Whereas, on July 13, 2021, the Human Rights Council 
adopted consensus Resolution 47/21 ‘‘Promotion and pro-
tection of the human rights and fundamental freedoms of 
Africans and of people of African descent against exces-
sive use of force and other human rights violations by law 
enforcement officers through transformative change for 
racial justice and equality’’, now informally known as the 
‘‘George Floyd Resolution’’; 
Whereas this resolution establishes an international inde-
pendent expert mechanism for an initial period of three 
years to investigate governments’ responses to peaceful 
antiracism protests and all violations of international 
human rights law and to contribute to accountability and 
redress for victims; 
Whereas Secretary of State Antony Blinken released a public 
statement issuing a historic, formal, standing invitation 
to all United Nations experts who report and advise on 
thematic human rights issues to come to the United 
States, including a specific invitation for the United Na-
tions Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of rac-
ism and the United Nations Special Rapporteur on mi-
nority issues; 
Whereas, on August 2, 2021, the United Nations General As-
sembly, including the United States, unanimously adopt-
ed a resolution to create the Permanent Forum on People 
of African Descent, a consultative mechanism for people 
of African descent and other stakeholders as a platform 
for improving the safety and quality of life and liveli-
hoods of people of African descent; 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
21:09 Aug 31, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6300
E:\BILLS\HR615.IH
HR615
pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
•HRES 615 IH 
Whereas persistent racial inequities in education, health care, 
housing, jobs, wages, social security and veteran benefits, 
land ownership, financial assistance, food security, voting 
rights, and the justice system endure in American society 
and institutions; and 
Whereas these inequities are rooted in our Nation’s 250-year 
history of chattel slavery and systemic racism at the ex-
pense of people of African descent: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) celebrates the goals and ideals of the first 
International Day for People of African Descent, 
particularly the principle that ‘‘all human beings are 
born free and equal in dignity and rights and have 
the potential to contribute constructively to the de-
velopment and well-being of their societies’’; 
(2) condemns any doctrine of racial superiority 
as scientifically and empirically false, morally con-
demnable, socially unjust, and dangerous to democ-
racy everywhere and calls for its rejection, together 
with theories that attempt to determine the existence 
of separate human races; 
(3) strongly condemns the continuing violent 
practices and excessive use of force by law enforce-
ment agencies against Africans and people of Afri-
can descent and condemns structural racism in 
criminal justice systems in the United States and 
around the world; 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
21:09 Aug 31, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\HR615.IH
HR615
pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
•HRES 615 IH 
(4) acknowledges the transatlantic slave trade 
as one of the darkest chapters in our human history 
and upholds human dignity and equality for the vic-
tims of slavery, the slave trade, and colonialism, in 
particular people of African descent in the African 
Diaspora; 
(5) commits to pursue a legislative agenda to 
eliminate the persistent racial inequities here in the 
United States in education, health care, housing, 
jobs, wages, Social Security and veteran benefits, 
land ownership, financial assistance, food security, 
voting rights, and the justice system; and 
(6) stands in solidarity with people of African 
descent across the diaspora against systemic racism 
and supports the transformational agenda for racial 
justice and equality as identified in the Systemic 
Racism Report, and implemented through the subse-
quent Human Rights Council Resolution and the 
Permanent Forum on People of African Descent. 
Æ 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
21:09 Aug 31, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\HR615.IH
HR615
pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS