Slave Trade Bill Set for Vote; Entrepreneurship Bill Reintroduced

By Robert "Rob" Redding Jr.

Publisher

WASHINGTON, April 20, 2007, 7:00 p.m. - The U.S. House International Relations Committee this week approved a resolution to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the end of the transatlantic slave trade, preparing the way for the House to vote on it next week.

Meanwhile, Rep. Elijah E. Cummings, a Maryland Democrat, today Reintroduced his "'Minority Entrepreneurship Development Act".

H. Res. 272, introduced by Rep. Barbara Lee, a California Democrat, recognizes the historical significance of the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade to the world; respects the memory of those who died as a result of slavery, supports the preservation of historical records and documents and urges increased education of current and future generations about this crime against humanity.

March 25 was the 200th Anniversary of the passage of the Slave Trade Abolition Act, which was enacted by the British Parliament in 1807, Lee said.

"We are still working to overcome the legacy of slavery," she said. "The economic foundation of Europe and its former colonies, including the United States, was built on the blood, sweat and tears of enslaved Africans labor.  It is important for us to remember this dark period in both the history of our nation and the world and celebrate the efforts to bring it to an end. This resolution is designed to do that, to honor the memory of all of those who died and to ensure that we never forget this crime against humanity in order to ensure that it is never repeated."

Cummings, a member of the Joint Economic Committee, also this week reintroduced the Minority Entrepreneurship Development Act of 2007, which would foster business development and entrepreneurship in minority communities. Sen. John Kerry, a Massachusetts Democrat, has introduced companion legislation to this bill, S. 98, in the Senate.

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The legislation would set up a $15 million, three-year pilot program to promote small business development in colleges and universities that serve African American, Native American and Latino American communities. Through grants of up to $1 million, the respective institutions would provide students who are not business majors with the tools necessary to use their area of expertise as entrepreneurs.  The bill would also allow institutions to set up Small Business Development Centers to conduct research and provide training, counseling, capacity building and niche market development services to start-up entrepreneurs.

"The numbers explain why this legislation is necessary," Cummings said. "Strikingly, the average income for African Americans is only equal to 62 percent of that earned by Whites.  More than 40 years after the last Jim Crow laws were repealed by the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the economic value of Blacks is still about three-fifths that of Whites. 

"The average incomes of Native Americans and Latino Americans are similarly unbalanced, with the income in those communities respectively equaling 65 and 74 percent.  This race-based 'wealth gap' is simply unacceptable." he said. "All Americans deserve the right to share in the American Dream, regardless of their race or ethnicity. We know that small business development has provided great opportunities for minority communities. Minority-owned businesses promote personal economic growth, provide employment opportunities, and support local economies. Everyone wins when minority-owned businesses thrive."

In the previous Congress, the legislation garnered the support of 42 House Members. In addition, it had the support of the American Indian Higher Education Consortium, the National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education, and the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities. 

"I again look forward to the support of these groups and hope to work with them to implement this important piece of legislation during the 110th Congress," he said.  "A great legacy of the American Dream has been the opportunity for ordinary citizens to improve their livelihoods by starting their own businesses, and minority communities deserve a chance to share in that dream."

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