The CBC "Message to America" is distributed nationwide to the American Urban Radio Network's (AURN) affiliate stations.

            WHO:        Congressional Black Caucus Chairman Melvin L. Watt (D-N.C.)

            WHEN:      Saturday, October 21, 2006; 12:06 p.m. EST

            WHERE:   American Urban Radio Network Affiliate Stations

"This is Congressman Mel Watt, Chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus. As I approach the end of my term as Chair, the CBC continues to focus much of our time on three very important issues: the genocide in Darfur, the growing HIV/AIDS epidemic in the African American community and on what additional steps are still needed to respond to those impacted by Hurricane Katrina.

"Members of the Congressional Black Caucus recently held two meetings – one with our Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and the other with the Chinese Ambassador to the United States – to urge them to take more aggressive steps and to act more urgently to end the genocide and humanitarian crisis in Darfur.

"Over the last several months, things have actually gotten worse in Darfur and immediate steps must be taken to help bring peace and stability to the region. To date, over 400,000 people have been murdered and 2 million more displaced.

"The Congressional Black Caucus asked Secretary Rice to apply more pressure to get United Nations peacekeeping forces into Sudan and warned her that the situation is rapidly approaching the magnitude of what occurred in Rwanda.

"In an effort to engage the international community, the CBC urged the Chinese Ambassador to communicate to the Government of China, a country with significant financial investment in Sudan, that China must use its influence with the Sudanese Government to end the genocide.

"On the growing epidemic of HIV/AIDS, just before we recessed in October, members of the CBC were tested for HIV/AIDS to highlight the importance of getting tested and to encourage leaders throughout America to end the "state of denial" that has existed in many of our communities about the growing epidemic. HIV and AIDS infection rates are growing at epidemic proportions in the African American community, particularly among Black females, who now represent over 70 percent of the new AIDS cases.

"The CBC is supporting legislation introduced by Representative Maxine Waters that will require testing of all prisoners and we also support HIV testing as a standard part of regular medical examinations.

"Finally, the face of poverty we saw after Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast was primarily African American. In keeping with the CBC’s mission of closing disparities between African Americans and other Americans, we introduced legislation to help restore the Gulf Coast and are calling on the President to come forward with a plan to eradicate poverty in the United States within 10 years. Unfortunately, this is one of many requests that we have made to which President Bush has not responded. We’ll keep fighting this battle for our people.

"This is CBC Chairman Mel Watt on behalf of the Congressional Black Caucus.  Thank you."