Since its establishment in 1971, the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) has been committed to using the full Constitutional power, statutory authority, and financial resources of the federal government to ensure that African Americans and other marginalized communities in the United States have the opportunity to achieve the American Dream.
Every year on June 19, we celebrate “Juneteenth” to honor the day that the enslaved people in Galveston, Texas were informed of the end of the brutal Civil War and the beginning of their freedom in 1865. This day was two and a half years after President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, which had become official on January 1, 1863.
As we commemorate this day we must acknowledge that… Read more »
Nur Omar Mohamed was the father of Congressional Black Caucus Member Rep. Ilhan Omar, but he was also someone very dear to many of us who met him during a congressional delegation trip to Morocco. He welcomed us all and ensured that we truly felt at home. Reflecting on that trip, Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, Rep. Karen Bass stated: “When I think of him, I smile remembering him… Read more »
Today, President Trump announced an Executive Order on Safe Policing for Safe Communities in response to national calls for law enforcement reform. The President’s Executive Order falls woefully short of the long overdue demands for accountability and transparency in our police departments. During the announcement today, the President claimed the Executive Order would set standards "as… Read more »
The Congressional Black Caucus is deeply concerned by the voter suppression activities witnessed during yesterday’s primary election in Georgia. Voters were met with excessively long lines, dysfunctional polling machines, ballot shortages, and unnecessary administrative delays. The scenes from Tuesday are very worrisome as we have seen repeated instances of voter suppression tactics… Read more »
The Congressional Black Caucus released the following statement regarding today’s call led by Rep. Stacey Plaskett (US Virgin Islands) between the members of the Congressional Black Caucus and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Christopher Wray to discuss the actions being taken by the FBI during this time of unrest in our country:
“America’s history of racism and racially… Read more »
Below is a readout from a virtual congressional briefing held today at 5:30 p.m. ET.
Today, Rep. Karen Bass (D-CA), Congressional Black Caucus Chair and House Judiciary Crime Subcommittee Chair, along with House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), convened a briefing with national advocacy organizations for House Judiciary Committee Democratic Members and congressional… Read more »
Below is a readout of Congressional Black Caucus Chairwoman Bass’s remarks on today’s Democratic Caucus call.
The Chairwoman opened by providing the context of police brutality in American and giving a sense of urgency for the Caucus to advance a wholistic legislative reform package to address the issue and broader issues of injustices and inequities faced by the black community. She… Read more »
Today, the Congressional Black Caucus, released the following statement on the murder of George Floyd by officers of the Minneapolis Police Department:
This time his name was George Floyd. His crime, being a Black man in America. On Monday evening, George Floyd was killed at the hands of racist police officers, who insisted on using unnecessary force, which included kneeling on his… Read more »
As the spread of coronavirus in America continues to impact communities of color, the effect on the prison system has been widely underscored. Inmates and staff have been exposed to COVID-19 at alarming rates, with minimal relief, despite the directive to reduce prison populations by releasing low-risk offenders. However, when the release of Paul Manafort, the former campaign manager for… Read more »
