[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 403 Introduced in House (IH)]
110th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. CON. RES. 403
Recognizing the important contributions of African-American doctors on
the event of the apology of the American Medical Association to the
National Medical Association, an association of African-American
doctors, for over a century of racial prejudices and wrongdoings, and
for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
July 31, 2008
Mr. Butterfield (for himself, Mrs. Christensen, Ms. Lee, Ms. Clarke,
Ms. Edwards of Maryland, Mr. Al Green of Texas, Mr. Thompson of
Mississippi, Mr. Towns, Mrs. Jones of Ohio, Mr. Hastings of Florida,
Mr. Carson, Ms. Richardson, Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas, Mr.
Davis of Illinois, Mr. Cleaver, Ms. Kilpatrick, Mr. Watt, Mr. Scott of
Virginia, Mr. Ellison, Mr. Clay, Mr. Payne, Mr. Clyburn, Ms. Waters,
Ms. Moore of Wisconsin, Mr. Cummings, Mr. Bishop of Georgia, Mr. Lewis
of Georgia, Mr. Davis of Alabama, Mr. Conyers, Mr. Jefferson, Ms.
Jackson-Lee of Texas, Mr. Johnson of Georgia, Mr. Rush, Mr. Meeks of
New York, Mr. Cohen, Mr. Meek of Florida, Ms. Watson, Mr. Fattah, Mr.
Pallone, Mr. Jackson of Illinois, Mr. Scott of Georgia, Mr. Price of
North Carolina, Ms. Schakowsky, Mr. Kucinich, Mr. McGovern, Mr. Snyder,
Ms. DeLauro, Ms. Solis, Mr. Grijalva, Ms. Hooley, Mr. Brady of
Pennsylvania, Mr. Weiner, Ms. Eshoo, Mrs. Capps, Mr. Stark, Mr. Moran
of Virginia, Mr. Kennedy, Ms. Baldwin, Mr. Honda, Mr. Miller of North
Carolina, Mr. Gene Green of Texas, Ms. Norton, Mr. Spratt, Mr. Rangel,
Mr. Wamp, Mr. Pomeroy, Mr. Larson of Connecticut, Mr. Melancon, Mr.
Capuano, Ms. Corrine Brown of Florida, Mr. Waxman, Ms. Berkley, and Ms.
DeGette) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was
referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce
_______________________________________________________________________
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
Recognizing the important contributions of African-American doctors on
the event of the apology of the American Medical Association to the
National Medical Association, an association of African-American
doctors, for over a century of racial prejudices and wrongdoings, and
for other purposes.
Whereas the American Medical Association (AMA) recently apologized to the
National Medical Association (NMA), an association of African-American
doctors, for its past history of racial inequality toward African-
American physicians;
Whereas the AMA used the occasion to share its current efforts to increase the
ranks of minority physicians and their participation in their
organization;
Whereas the NMA, described as ``the largest and oldest national organization
representing African-American physicians and their patients in the
United States'', was founded in 1895;
Whereas the NMA is headquartered in the District of Columbia and represents more
than 25,000 African-American doctors;
Whereas the AMA, the largest association of physicians and medical students in
the United States, was founded in 1847 and incorporated in 1897;
Whereas the AMA did not allow African-American doctors to join their
organization for over a century because of their race;
Whereas in 1968, the AMA became integrated by amending its constitution and
bylaws to punish racial discrimination by permitting the expulsion of
constituent societies;
Whereas the AMA created the Minority Affairs Consortium in 1992, which is
charged with increasing the number of underrepresented minority medical
students and physicians;
Whereas the AMA established the Commission to End Healthcare Disparities in
1994, whose mission is to ``collaborate proactively to increase
awareness among physicians and health professionals; use evidence-based
and other strategies; and advocate for action, including governmental,
to eliminate disparities in health care and strengthen the health care
system'';
Whereas Dr. Lonnie Bristow was named the first African-American president of AMA
in 1994;
Whereas there is still work to be done, as in 1910, African-American doctors
made up 2.5 percent of total doctors in United States, and in 2008,
Black doctors make up only 2.2 percent of total doctors in the United
States;
Whereas James Derham, born into slavery in 1757, was the first African-American
to formally practice medicine, and did not attend medical school;
Whereas James McCune Smith was the first university-trained African-American
doctor, graduating with a medical degree earned in Scotland in 1837;
Whereas David J. Peck was first African-American to graduate from an American
medical school in 1847, and went on practice medicine in the United
States;
Whereas there were 14 African-American medical schools opened after the Civil
War;
Whereas Shaw University's Leonard Medical School, located in Raleigh, North
Carolina, is one of the South's oldest historically Black colleges and
universities;
Whereas Leonard Medical School was the first Black medical school in the Deep
South, and the only Black medical school in North Carolina;
Whereas Leonard Medical School and its more than 400 graduates went on to play
important societal roles by leading hospitals, opening libraries, and
starting businesses in the healthcare field;
Whereas Leonard Medical School graduate Aaron Moore became the first African-
American physician in Durham, North Carolina;
Whereas after graduating in Leonard Medical School's first graduating class,
Lawson Andrew Scruggs started a tuberculosis sanatorium in Southern
Pines, North Carolina, and was largely responsible for decreasing the
death rate in Raleigh, North Carolina's African-American community; and
Whereas Leonard Medical School trained African-American doctors who made a
positive impact on their communities and paved the way for other
African-Americans to enter medicine in the future: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring),
That Congress--
(1) recognizes the important contributions of African-
American doctors on the event of the apology of American
Medical Association (AMA) to the National Medical Association
(NMA), an association of African-American doctors, for over a
century of racial prejudices and wrongdoings;
(2) recognizes the efforts of Dr. W. Montague Cobb, former
president of the NMA in helping to break down the racial
prejudices at the AMA that eventually led to the AMA's full
integration;
(3) recognizes Shaw University's Leonard Medical School and
other historically Black colleges and universities for their
role in training African-American doctors who made a positive
impact on their communities and paved the way for other
African-Americans to enter medicine in the future; and
(4) encourages more African-Americans to work in medicine
and become doctors, nurses, and researchers to benefit the
African-American community and society as a whole.
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