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HCON 31 RFS

January 18, 2007

Received and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

Honoring the Mare Island Original 21ers for their efforts to remedy racial discrimination in employment at Mare Island Naval Shipyard.

Whereas over 45 years ago African-American workers employed by the Mare Island Naval Shipyard in Vallejo, California, despite having work experiences and qualifications comparable to their counterparts, experienced racial discrimination resulting in the denial of opportunities in employment, training, and apprenticeship positions, supervisory positions, promotions, and awards;

Whereas in March 1961 President John F. Kennedy issued Executive Order No. 10925 establishing the President's Committee on Equal Employment Opportunity and reaffirming the prohibition of discrimination against any employee of, or applicant for employment by, the Federal Government because of race, color, religion, or national origin;

Whereas Executive Order No. 10925 laid the foundation for title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964;

Whereas on November 17, 1961, 21 African-American shipyard workers at Mare Island Naval Shipyard filed a racial discrimination complaint with the Committee on Equal Employment Opportunity;

Whereas the complaint outlined nine allegations of racial discrimination in employment at Mare Island Naval Shipyard and requested that the Committee investigate and correct the deplorable conditions at Mare Island Naval Shipyard;

Whereas the filing of this complaint along with other similar complaints of racial discrimination led to an acknowledgment by then Defense Secretary Robert McNamara in 1963 that there was employment discrimination based on race in the military;

Whereas on November 8, 1963, the Original 21ers Club was officially recognized with the purpose of elevating qualified minorities in every phase of Mare Island employment, creating a better relationship between management and employees and better acquainting their membership with the working conditions of every occupation;

Whereas the actions and persistence of the Original 21ers provided the means for overturning racial discrimination in employment at Mare Island Naval Shipyard and resulted in new employment opportunities for African-American workers at Mare Island Naval Shipyard;

Whereas the Original 21ers went on to organize for equal employment opportunities in other local military facilities in the San Francisco Bay Area of California; and

Whereas the heroic deeds of the Original 21ers have remained heretofore unacknowledged: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), That the Congress--

(1) recognizes the historic accomplishments of the Mare Island Original 21ers in combating racial discrimination in employment as envisioned in title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and providing equal employment opportunities for African-American shipyard workers;

(2) recognizes the importance of the Committee on Equal Employment Opportunity as a forerunner to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission which continues the fight in resolving complaints of racial discrimination in employment; and

(3) recognizes the importance of title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 as a powerful and ongoing tool for eliminating racial discrimination in employment.

Passed the House of Representatives January 17, 2007.

Attest:

KAREN L. HAAS,

Clerk.

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