The publication is reproduced in full below:
HONORING EARL ``SKIP'' COOPER II
______
HON. MAXINE WATERS
of california
in the house of representatives
Friday, August 12, 2022
Ms. WATERS. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Earl ``Skip'' Cooper II for his outstanding service over many decades to the African American business community in the United States.
On August 20, 2022, fifty years to the day after Mr. Cooper moved to Los Angeles from Oakland, CA, he will be honored by the Black Business Association (BBA) in a celebration of his 50 years of activism and service.
Mr. Cooper and I have known each other and worked together on numerous projects for more than 45 years. We first met when I was the Chief of Staff for Los Angeles City Councilman David Cunningham, and we developed an excellent working relationship. Mr. Cooper continued to be a trusted advisor when I was elected to the California State Assembly and then to the United States Congress.
Before joining the BBA, Mr. Cooper served his country in the Vietnam War, was an instructor at California State University Los Angeles and earned a Master's degree in Business Administration from the University of Southern California (USC), with an emphasis on entrepreneurship. Mr. Cooper's primary focus all these years, has been assisting Black businesses survive and grow.
Founded in 1970, the Black Business Association, headquartered in Los Angeles, is the oldest active ethnic business support organization in the state of California. Originally named the Black Businessmen's Association of Los Angeles, the BBA was one of the first business groups of any ethnicity to recognize and honor the contributions of female entrepreneurs. Mr. Cooper joined the BBA in 1974, became its President/CEO in 1976 and was named Executive Director in 1992.
Always an innovator, Mr. Cooper has continued to be an effective advocate for the advancement of minority business enterprise on a local, state, and national level. He led the first ``trade mission'' of African Americans to meet with the Congressional Black Caucus and the White House in the 1970s. He has been a close ally and advisor to African American leaders, from Mayor Tom Bradley to Congresswoman Yvonne Brathwaite-Burke, from California Speaker Willie Brown to Congresswoman Barbara Lee. He is the publisher/editor of the award-
winning Black Business News magazine and is quick to assist policy makers in crafting legislation that makes it easier for minority businesses to succeed. A 100 percent Disabled Vietnam Veteran, Mr. Cooper is known to most community leaders for his sense of humor, his cultural pride, and his unabashed devotion to God. He is a savvy and intelligent observer of culture, politics, economics, and business. His positive, selfless, and inspiring energy has contributed much to California's Black community for more than half a century.
I salute Earl ``Skip'' Cooper II upon BBA's celebration of his 50th anniversary in Los Angeles and look forward to more opportunities to work together in his role as President Emeritus and Chairman of BBA's Board of Directors.
____________________
SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 168, No. 135(1), Congressional Record Vol. 168, No. 135(2)
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