Proposed Proclamation for 2021 Africa Day - California State Capitol Celebration

Michael Harris, Chairman, California Black Agriculture Working Group (626) 905-2270 and Hershel Daniels, Chairman, Friends of the African Union (626) 977-5282

WHEREAS, On May 25, 1963, the Organization of African Union was founded to promote the unity and solidarity of the African nation states to act as a collective voice for the people of the African continent. Today, the African Union continues that journey to secure Africa’s long-term cultural, economic, and political future; and,

WHEREAS, the African Union through the Ministers of Finance, Economic Planning and Integration and Central Bank Governors of African Union Member States, meeting on the occasion of the Fourth African Union Specialized Technical Committee on Finance, Monetary Affairs, Economic Planning and Integration, virtually on May 21, 2021 did provisionally endorse the African Union Commision report on ‘Strategic, Business and Operational Framework for an African Diaspora Finance Corporation’ as the framework for the African Union legacy project on diaspora investment; and,

WHEREAS, The California Black Agriculture Working Group remains focused on expanding California African Trade and Commerce. Together we much help grow job creation and career development while expanding healthy solutions of local food system production by people of African ancestry to the “California Grown” brand both within the urban service boundary and rural California landscape; and,

WHEREAS, California's vibrant political, business, and community leaders are invited to build upon a solid foundation with a special focus on reviving market based Pan African specialty crops with higher nutritional value that targets diet related disease while lowering epidemic health care costs throughout California and beyond; and,

WHEREAS, Africa Day 2021, celebrating the Pan African Diaspora, seeks to finally establish an official commitment by the State of California toward structured relationships between the African Union to define key goals and identify specific projects to which collective African efforts, governmental and nongovernmental, will be directed through a public private partnership. Together we can chart a way forward in institutionalizing processes of African cooperation, dialog, planning, and implementation of strategies and projects; and,

WHEREAS, Friends of the African Union, California Black Agriculture Working Group and other stakeholders join us in our 20 year ongoing effort toward building a formal commitment with the State of California through its Executive Officers and California State Legislature toward establishing a formal California public/partnership; and,

WHEREAS, In collaboration with the Friends of African Union, utilizing new President Biden/Harris Administration public policy including the historic vision in Executive Order #13895 and that of the State of California with the Governor Newsom signing of AB 3121 last year can be used to create well paying jobs in the state as we build a California based operation in alignment with the Fourth African Union Specialized Technical Committee on Finance, Monetary Affairs, Economic Planning and Integration as a effective implementation as we celebrate African Day, May 25, 2021; and,

NOW, therefore, be it Resolved by the Assembly and Senate of the State of California, that the California State Legislature recognizes Tuesday, May 25, 2021, as Africa Day 2021 to celebrate early California Pan African Pioneers in the California Gold Rush Era as well as new immigrants from throughout the Global African Diaspora who live throughout the Great State of California and to proudly reinforce our shared mutually beneficial economic relationship with the continent of Africa