Business and Economic Development (BED)

SUPPORTING REPARATIONS TO PROMOTE JUSTICE AND EQUAL OPPORTUNITY FOR AFRICAN AMERICANS

WHEREAS, the National Black Caucus of State Legislators (NBCSL) passed resolution 21-06,  IN SUPPORT OF INTERNATIONAL AND DOMESTIC ACTION ON SYSTEMATIC RACISM, which urged “Congress to have US Department of the Treasury with the assistance of other federal departments to do full accounting of the all the benefits that were promised to Black Americans that were never received and the cost that systematic injustice has had on the community’ and included developing a plan to distribute such funds;

WHEREAS, slavery is America’s original sin, and enslaved African Americans were not compensated while many slaveholders were compensated;

WHEREAS, more than 4 million Africans and their descendants were enslaved in the United States and the colonies that became the United States from 1619 to 1865;

WHEREAS, slavery and post-slavery discrimination created an historic unfair economic, legal, and political imbalance against African Americans;

WHEREAS, not only were African American’s sold and bought as property, but African Americans in this nation have been lynched, beaten, wrongfully incarcerated, intentionally deprived of bare necessities, and treated merely as second class citizens;

WHEREAS, African Americans have suffered through the long-standing generational impacts of chattel slavery as well as well as from the deprivation of basic civil rights, Jim Crow laws, lynching, segregation, housing discrimination and redlining, unequal pay, voter suppression, and police bias and brutality, and many other injustices that are too numerous to list;

WHEREAS, the first recorded reparations to a former enslaved African were Belinda Royall in 1783 by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts;

WHEREAS, in 1865, soon after the American Civil War ended, General William T. Sherman issued Special Field Orders No. 15 to grant former enslaved African Americans 40 acres and a mule, but legislation to implement the Order was vetoed by President Andrew Johnson;

WHEREAS, under the leadership of Callie House, the National Ex-Slave Mutual Relief, Bounty and Pension Association filed the first documented Black reparations litigation in the United States on the federal level in 1915;

WHEREAS, first introduced in 1989, U.S. Representative John Conyers (D-MI) was the chief sponsor of H.R.40 for nearly thirty years; the bill would establish the Commission to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African-Americans Act for the purpose to examine the merits of introducing reparations to African-Americans for slavery;

WHEREAS, the current chief sponsor of H.R.40 is U.S. Representative Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) and has over 100 cosponsors;

WHEREAS, in 2020, California established the first-in-the-nation state task force to study historic and systemic racism and develop recommendations and issued a final report in 2023;

WHEREAS, a reparations committee for the City of San Francisco issued a report in 2023;

WHEREAS, in 2021, Evanston, Illinois became the first city in the United States to pay ‘reparations’ to African American residents or their descendants who were determined to be victims of alleged unfair housing practices; and

WHEREAS, the National Black Caucus of State Legislators (NBCSL) core mission is to address policies that impact the “general welfare” of African Americans and address historic injustices against African Americans.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the National Black Caucus of State Legislators (NBCSL) supports local, state, and federal government reparations to promote justice and equal opportunity for African Americans;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the NBCSL supports effort to gain the much needed information to understand the total economic impact that previous policies and actions have had against African Americans; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that a copy of this resolution be transmitted to the President of the United States, the Vice President of the United States, members of the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate, and other federal and state government officials as appropriate.

• Resolution ID: BED-24-19
• Sponsored by: Sen. James Sanders, Jr (NY)
• Policy Committee: Business and Economic Development (BED)

EMBRACING OUR SHARED CULTURE WITH AFRICA

WHEREAS, African Americans and the United States should return the embrace of Africa by building a constructive international relationship with each other;

WHEREAS, during October 2023, the Republic of Ghana in Africa will host an African Union- approved conference for people of African descent to reflect and push forward the demand for reparations for Africa for the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade;

WHEREAS, Ghanian President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo stated it was important to resolve that the atrocities caused during the slave trade time period would not be allowed to happen again;

WHEREAS, the African Union became a permanent member of the G20 on September 20, 2023; the Group of 20 is an intergovernmental forum consisting of 19 countries, the European Union (EU), and the African Union (AU) and works to address major issues related to the global economy;

WHEREAS, in July 2023, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni officially apologized to the descendants of enslaved Africans for Uganda’s role in the Transatlantic slave trade, President

Museveni said “If it were not for the parts that our African kings and chiefs played in the slave trade, this evil trade could not have survived. Therefore, on behalf of all the African leaders, past and present, all of them, I acknowledge that part we played in this tragedy. And today, we ask for forgiveness”;

WHEREAS, leaders at the U.S.-Africa Business Summit held in Gaborone, Botswana in July 2023 have urged renewal of the long-standing Africa Growth Opportunities Act (AGOA);

WHEREAS, the trade deal gives some African countries preferential or even tax-free access for their exports to the U.S. market, and the agreement is due to expire in 2025, and African delegates at the summit want the deal renewed;

WHEREAS, 49 African countries and NBCSL leadership were active participants in the second-ever U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit held in Washington, D.C. from December 13-15, 2022;

WHEREAS, Africa has one of the world’s fastest- growing populations, largest free trade areas, most diverse ecosystems, and one of the largest regional voting blocs in the United Nations;

WHEREAS, by 2050 Africa will be home to one quarter of the world’s population with vast natural resources, including 30 percent of the critical minerals needed globally and the world’s second-largest rainforest;

WHEREAS, in May 2020, African Union Commission chairman Moussa Faki Mahamat stated that the AU “strongly condemns the murder of George Floyd that occurred in the United States of America at the hands of law enforcement officers, and wishes to extend his deepest condolences to his family and loved ones”;

WHEREAS, the African countries of Ghana, Sierra Leone, Gabon, and Eritrea have extended the privilege of free citizenship to people of African descent based on their ancestral DNA;

WHEREAS, U.S. goods and services traded with Africa totaled $83.6 billion in 2021;

WHEREAS, the NBCSL has an obligation through its mission to address policies that impact the “general welfare” of African Americans and that should include building a constructive and strong relationship with the continent of Africa; and

WHEREAS, Malcolm X said, “You can’t hate the roots of the tree without ending up hating the tree. You can’t hate your origin without ending up hating yourself. You can’t hate the land, your motherland, the place that you come from, and we can’t hate Africa without ending up hating ourselves.”

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the National Black Caucus of State Legislators (NBCSL) supports recognizing and embracing the continent of Africa’s connection to the United States and its invaluable contributions;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the NBCSL should work to unite the nations of Africa and the United States in their common interests and values to the benefit of both entities;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the NBCSL encourages the establishment of more sister cities between cities in Africa and cities in the United States and should work with the African American Mayors Association to develop this goal;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the NBCSL seeks to foster more cultural exchanges between Africa and the United States;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the NBCSL supports increased student and faculty academic exchanges and scientific research between Africa and the United States;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the NBCSL promotes expanded trade relations between individual states and African Nations to boost our respective economies;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the NBCSL supports increased tourism between African Nations and the United States to lead to better mutual understanding of our societies;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the NBCSL calls upon its Members to enact such policies in their respective states; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that a copy of this resolution be transmitted to the President of the United States, the Vice President of the United States, members of the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate, and other federal and state government officials as appropriate.

• Resolution ID: BED-24-20
• Sponsored by: Sen. James Sanders, Jr (NY)
• Policy Committee: Business and Economic Development (BED)

CELEBRATING BLACK BREWERS

WHEREAS, the National Black Caucus of State Legislators (NBCSL) understand that the rich tapestry of our nation is woven with the vibrant threads of diversity;

WHEREAS, throughout history, African Americans have made significant contributions to the culture, economy, and social fabric of our state, and have played an integral role in shaping the brewing industry;

WHEREAS, the craft beer industry has experienced remarkable growth and innovation, and African American brewers have emerged as talented artisans, creating unique and exceptional brews that showcase their passion, creativity, and dedication;

WHEREAS, on October 10, 1970, Theodore A. (Ted) Mack, Sr. and business associates celebrated the purchase of Peoples Brewing Company in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, with over 2,000 guests, including stockholders, local and state legislators, and notable dignitaries;

WHEREAS, Mr. Mack became the first Black brewery president in the United States, and Peoples Brewing Company became the first Black-owned brewery in the history of the United States;

WHEREAS, the National Black Brewers Association was recently formed in Sacramento, California, in 2023;

WHEREAS, it is essential to recognize and celebrate the achievements and contributions of Black brewers, who have overcome challenges and barriers to establish themselves as pillars of the craft beer community, inspiring others, and breaking down barriers of racial inequality;

WHEREAS, the establishment of National Black Brewers Day provides an opportunity for Americans to acknowledge, honor, and support the accomplishments of Black brewers, to raise awareness about the diversity within the brewing industry, and to foster a spirit of inclusion and equality; and

WHEREAS, Celebrating National Black Brewers Day will encourage individuals and communities to discover and appreciate the exceptional craftsmanship and unique flavors that Black brewers bring to the brewing industry.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the National Black Caucus of State Legislators (NBCSL) encourages the United States Congress, the President of the United States, and individual states to recognize October 10, annually, as National Black Brewers Day; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that a copy of this resolution be transmitted to the President of the United States, the Vice President of the United States, members of the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate, and other federal and state government officials as appropriate.

• Resolution ID: BED-24-29
• Sponsored by: Rep. Laura V. Hall (AL)
• Policy Committee: Business and Economic Development (BED)