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For more than 40 years, we have been the leading voice addressing Black America—first as the largest local urban radio network and then as the largest syndicator of urban programming. No other multi-media company reaches two out of three Black Consumers. In addition to its 70 radio and broadcast stations, Urban One operates TV One, its award-winning cable television network targeting an African American audience, and CLEO TV, its lifestyle cable network targeting millennial and GenX women of color. Our iOne digital platform boasts some of the most iconic and informative digital brands, such as Hello Beautiful, NewsOne, Black Planet, and Bossip.
The Urban One brand was built on the creed established by its Founder, Cathy Hughes: “Information is POWER.” At Urban One, we boldly and unapologetically REPRESENT BLACK CULTURE while serving as a vehicle to inform, entertain, and inspire the broad communities that we serve. Our divisions, TV One, Radio One, Reach Media, iOne Digital and One Solution are industry leaders, delivering media content at scale, representing the best of urban life, culture and ideals. Dynamic multi-platform opportunities uniquely position Urban One as an unparalleled solution for advertisers, civic organizations and leaders seeking to connect with urban enthusiasts and to demonstrate that “Black Business Matters.”
Urban One, Inc. would like to thank the particpating Members of Congress for their contributions to Engaging Black America on key issues impacting the African American community.
4 Balancing the Scales: Building a Diverse Judiciary When Diversity is Under Attack - Senate Majority Leader, Chuck Schumer
4 Building the Future: Ensuring African-Americans Have Access to High-Quality and Affordable Higher Education
6 How Biden’s Border Crisis has Disproportionately Impacted Black America - House Majority Leader, Steve Scalise
Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA)
7 Fighting for the Child Tax Credit - Senator Sherrod Brown
5 How To Help Our Students, Not The Education Establishment
Rep. Mark Walker (R-NC)
8 Policymakers Have Work to do to Strengthen Safety, Soundness, and Executive Accountability following Last Year’s Bank Failur es. Here’s Where We Can Start - Congresswoman Maxine Waters
6 Can We Turn Disparities into Equity? Rep. Robin Kelly (D-IL)
7 Our Health On The Ballot In 2018
Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD)
9 Home Often Determines Opportunity. We Must Stop Source of Income-based Housing Discrimination - Senator Tim Kaine
9 Creating Job Opportunities In The Energy Sector
Rep. Bobby L. Rush (D-IL)
12 The Farm, Food, and National Security Act is a Win for Black America - Congressman Glenn Thompson
10 We Don’t Have to Settle for This Dirty Energy Agenda
Rep. Donald McEachin (D-VA)
13 DEI Saves Lives: The Urgent Call for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Medicine - Congresswoman Joyce Beatty
12 The Black Unemployment Rate is Low. But Technology Could Change That.
Rep. Cedric Richmond (D-LA)
14 More Progress is Possible Against Gun ViolenceCongr esswoman Robin Kelly 15 It’s Time to End Racial Hair Discrimination - Congresswoman Bonnie W atson Coleman
13 Restoring Hope & Opportunity
Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC)
15 Fixing America’s Broken Criminal Justice System is the Moral Test of Our Generation
16 We Must Uplift Black Women Leaders - Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland
Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ)
16 Criminal Justice Reform Building Bipartisan Momentum
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) 18 Borrowing While Black: A Financial System That Leaves African Americans Behind Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH)
19 The High Cost of the Federal Reserve’s Lack of Diversity
Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA)
Urban One, Inc. would like to thank the participating Members of Congress for their contributions to Engaging Black America on key issues impacting the African American community. A special thanks to all participants for their outlook and support on key issues affecting the African American
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A special thanks to all the participants for their outlook and support on key issues affecting the African American community. The views, information, assumptions and opinions set forth or expressed in this publication are solely those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views, ideas, or opinions of Urban One, Inc. or any of its affiliates or employees and are set forth in our capacity as a media and/or entertainment organization. Urban One, Inc. makes no representations or warranties about the reliability, completeness or accuracy of any information set forth in this publication and all such information should be used and/or considered for entertainment purposes only.
Balancing the Scales: Building a Diverse Judiciary When Diversity is Under Attack
By: Senate Majority Leader, Chuck Schumer
One of the most important responsibilities carried out by the U.S. Senate is voting on the judicial nominees recommended by the president. Of course, many Americans remember the times we’ve nominated and confirmed Justices to the Supreme Court, the highest court in the land. It’s a truly solemn duty.
But the majority of judges we consider are for lower level district and appellate courts across the country. These nominees are no less important than Supreme Court Justices because they handle the vast majority of federal cases. But they don’t always get the attention they deserve.
When Donald Trump and Senate Republicans were in charge, they saturated the bench with extreme – and in some cases woefully unqualified – judges. They were disproportionately white, male, and from large corporate law firms or prosecutors’ offices. That’s hardly a fair representation of our country. But under President Biden and my leadership as Senate Majority Leader, the federal bench has never been as qualified and diverse as it is today. Recently, the Senate hit a major milestone: the Senate has now confirmed over 200 federal judges under President Biden and this Democratic Majority.
The judges that have been confirmed under my watch represent the most diverse slate of judicial nominees in American history. While there’s a lot of work left to do before our bench truly reflects the makeup of this country, the bench is now far more balanced and diverse and far more experienced than it was before I became Majority Leader. This is something we can all be proud of.
Of the over 200 judges, nearly two thirds are women and nearly two thirds are people of color. That includes 59 Black judges, 38 Black women judges –each a record –35 Hispanic judges and 35 Asian American Pacific Islander judges, also a record.
We’ve confirmed the first Muslim American man and woman on the bench and the first Navajo federal judge. Most importantly, I was proud to lead the Senate in confirming the first Black woman and first public defender to the Supreme Court in American history, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson.
This isn’t just about demographic diversity, but professional diversity as well. We have confirmed more judges with backgrounds as public defenders, including Justice Jackson. We have also confirmed more civil rights lawyers, labor lawyers, immigration lawyers, consumer lawyers. This is good for America, because I firmly believe our bench should reflect America.
Sadly, not everyone believes we should promote and celebrate a more diverse bench, or even workplace for that matter.
The anti-affirmative action movement is growing in America, and they secured a big victory last year when the Supreme Court said affirmative action was unconstitutional. It’s just one awful example of why confirming the right judges makes all the difference.
At the state level, Republicans have escalated their attacks against schools and workplaces in an effort to erase our history. Black history has always failed to get its proper attention in our schools and in public discourse, and right now many hard-right ideologues want to revert our country back decades.
In Florida, the Republican governor banned AP classes on African American studies. In Texas, the State Senate unanimously approved a budget proposal that banned universities from using state money towards diversity, equity and inclusion programs.
And across the country, over 30 states have pushed over 100 bills that restrict DEI efforts. The anti-DEI movement is also trying to gain steam in Congress too. Last month, Republican Senators, led by Senator JD Vance of Ohio, introduced the Dismantle DEI Act . The law’s harms would be severe: it would reverse rules and programs that stop discrimination against workers of color and stop many of the steps President Biden has taken to make our federal workforce more diverse. Such a nasty bill will never see the light of day so long as I am Majority Leader and Senate Democrats remain in the majority.
Despite all these attacks against diversity and inclusion, I am still immensely proud of the work we’ve done to expand the diversity of the federal bench. A diverse bench is more important than ever before in our democracy. It helps build a sense of trust, justice, and transparency between the judges who preside on the bench and citizens who bring their cases to their court rooms.
Reaching 200 judges is a sign that we are on the right track. But I promise we will keep working, to make our bench stronger, more qualified, and a more truthful reflection of our incredible and diverse country.
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How Biden’s Border Crisis has Disproportionately Impacted Black America
By: House Majority Leader, Steve Scalise
Our country is in crisis, and every American sees it. Communities are being overrun with illegal immigrants from over 160 countries, including countries on the State Sponsors of Terrorism list, who have not properly been vetted. With them, deadly drugs like fentanyl have entered our neighborhoods, and human trafficking, drug cartels, and violent gang activity have risen in the United States. Biden’s border crisis has made every community a border community.
President Biden campaigned on an open border and since his first day in office, he has delivered on that dangerous promise. He has taken every action he could to open our southern border and allow mass illegal immigration, including signing executive orders to stop construction of the border wall, shred the ‘Remain in Mexico’ agreement, revoke President Trump’s executive order to ensure meaningful enforcement of border laws, end immigration restrictions on countries associated with terrorism, and other executive orders incentivizing illegal immigration.
Thanks to these policies, over 7.2 million illegal immigrants have entered our country under the Biden Administration and at least 350 people on the terrorist watchlist have been caught attempting to illegally enter the U.S., posing an enormous threat to our national security.
President Biden could reverse the damage he’s caused at any time with a stroke of his pen – the same way he started this mess. After repeatedly denying he had the power to fix his self-inflicted border crisis, President Biden issued an executive order to ‘address’ the border crisis in a political ploy to boost his flailing polling numbers. But his action won’t stop the flow of migrants, as it allows thousands of illegal immigrants to enter the U.S. daily. President Biden’s disastrous border policies also significantly affect Black Americans directly. Thanks to his open border, crime is rising in cities, wages are falling, there are fewer job opportunities, and skyrocketing fentanyl deaths.
President Biden’s border crisis has contributed considerably to rising crime in cities – disproportionately impacting Black communities. Black Americans are more likely to be the victims of violent crime. During President Biden’s first year in office, at least 16 major cities broke their homicide records. In our nation’s capital, violent crime shot up 39 percent in 2023, with homicides up 35 percent, robberies up 67 percent, motor vehicle theft up 82 percent, and arson up 175 percent. Furthermore, over 615,000 illegal immigrants on the ICE non-detained docket who have been convicted of a crime or have pending charges currently roam free.
With rising crime came an influx of fentanyl and synthetic opioids into our communities, which has become a leading cause of death amongst Americans. Black Americans have been disproportionately affected, with fentanyl driving the rapid increase in Black opioid overdoses in recent years, claiming the lives of friends and family.
Additionally, as more migrants illegally cross the border, wages and the employment rate for Black workers decline. Mass illegal immigration increases competition for jobs, meaning less jobs are available for American citizens. When would-be workers are unable to gain employment due to increased competition, many are pushed into crime, resulting in higher incarceration rates.
While this crisis shows no signs of slowing, President Biden still refuses to take real action to secure our border and combat the negative consequences of his policies. If the Biden Administration and Democrats truly cared about the negative impacts of the border crisis on Black communities, they would have passed our legislation, H.R. 2, the Secure the Border Act . H.R. 2 is the strongest border bill in our country’s history, and House Republicans passed it over a year ago.
H.R. 2 would fix our broken asylum system, hire more Border Patrol agents and provide them with necessary resources, reinstate Trump-era policies like ‘Remain in Mexico,’ and force the Biden Administration to resume building the border wall. By actually addressing the crisis at our southern border, H.R. 2 would lower violent crime in Black communities, keep fentanyl off the streets and prevent overdose deaths, allow for income increases amongst Black Americans, and safeguard American resources and jobs for citizens.
We can’t afford to ignore the deadly consequences of President Biden’s open border any longer. The mass influx of illegal immigrants has significantly harmed Black Americans and every community across our country. If we want to create safer communities and a fairer economy, we must enact meaningful legislation to secure our border. House Republicans have and will continue to fight to ensure President Biden’s border crisis comes to an end.
Congressman Steve Scalise represents Louisiana’s 1st Congressional District, who is the Majority Leader of the House of Representatives.
Fighting for the Child Tax Credit
By: Senator Sherrod Brown
The Child Tax Credit is one of the best tools we have to help families keep up with rising costs, lift children out of poverty, and make sure hard work pays off like it should for all families.
We’ve seen the difference it can make. In 2021, we passed a Child Tax Credit expansion. The families of more than 60 million children across the country saw more money directly in their pockets. It helped parents keep up with the cost of living, and it supported 2.3 million Black children.
We heard from parents in Ohio and all around the country about the difference it made. The Child Tax Credit helped them keep up with the cost of groceries, and rent or mortgage payments. It allowed families to afford new school clothes and shoes, or pay for summer camps and school fees. And for so many parents, one of their biggest sources of stress is the cost of childcare. We heard over and over that this tax cut allowed them to afford it.
This was one of the biggest victories for working families in decades. We need to do it again.
The cost of living is still too high for everyone – from housing to groceries to education. And we know how expensive it is to raise a family. From doctors’ appointments to diapers to school lunches to childcare – let alone trying to save for the future or for higher education – the costs never seem to end.
For too many parents, a hard day’s work doesn’t begin to cover expenses for their families. And the persistent racial wealth gap makes it even harder for Black parents to afford to raise a family. Their hard work isn’t paying off like it should. Black parents are more likely to work in jobs with hourly wages where their paycheck doesn’t reflect the true value of their work, and they’re less likely to have generational wealth as a cushion when emergencies inevitably happen.
Expanding the Child Tax Credit would make a real difference, and it would reward the work that millions of parents are already doing.
Right now, we have the opportunity to get it done. I worked with my colleagues on a bipartisan tax agreement that includes a Child Tax Credit expansion. The package has already passed the House with broad, bipartisan support.
This agreement would cut taxes for American companies that invest in research and innovation, which are vital for keeping up with global competitors.
It would also help make housing more affordable by expanding the Low Income Housing Tax Credit. We know housing is one of the biggest expenses families face. The expansion will mean the construction of more homes that Americans can actually afford.
And we made sure the package included a Child Tax Credit expansion to help hard work pay off for families. It would help the families of 16 million children. It would lift as many as 400,000 children out of poverty, and it would benefit 1 in 3 Black children across the country – that’s more than 3.3 million children.
Think about what a difference this could make for families right now. In the summer when school is out, more families are paying for childcare or summer camp, or have to take time off, forgoing paychecks to take care of their children. As the fall approaches and students head back to school, they might need new supplies or uniforms or shoes. And no matter the season, parents’ expenses aren’t going away.
For years, working families have watched politicians in Washington hand out tax cuts to corporations and the wealthiest tiny sliver of the country. We need to deliver for everyone else.
Throughout much of our country’s history, Black Americans’ hard work has never paid off like it should. Passing a Child Tax Credit expansion will reward work, help close the racial pay gap, and support Black families all over the country. We need to pass these tax cuts now.
Senator Sherrod Brown is the U.S. Senator from Ohio and the Chairman of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee.
Policymakers Have Work to do to Strengthen Safety, Soundness, and Executive Accountability following Last Year’s Bank Failures. Here’s Where We Can Start.
By: Congresswoman Maxine Waters
Last year, our nation was rocked by the sudden collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), and the subsequent failures of Signature Bank and First Republic. Their failures marked the second, third, and fourth largest bank failures in United States history. However, thanks to the swift action of the Biden Administration, our banking regulators used their emergency powers, and a banking crisis was averted.
Still, the events of last year were a major wakeup call for Congress. While some Republicans falsely blamed diversity and inclusion for the bank failures, as the top Democrat on the Financial Services Committee, I immediately organized bipartisan briefings with banking regulators and worked with the Administration to use every tool available to protect small businesses and workers across the country. I later worked with Chairman Patrick McHenry to direct the Government Accountability Office to investigate the matter, and to convene a series of bipartisan hearings to understand what happened. After conducting this important oversight, we learned what must be done to further strengthen our banking system.
For starters, Congress must quickly pass a number of reforms I and my Democratic colleagues have written to address the problems that led to the bank run. This includes my bill, which is supported by President Biden, to hold accountable bank executives that contribute to their bank’s failure. Democrats also have other measures to strengthen community banks, require bank management to be aware of financial risks before growing their bank, ensure the public can understand what happened if a big bank fails in the future, and importantly, reverse Trump-era deregulation that contributed to the failures of all three banks.
Additionally, it’s unfair for workers to fear missing out on their paychecks if the bank their company uses fails. That’s why I convened a member roundtable last year to explore deposit insurance reforms and am crafting legislation to improve emergency tools and deposit insurance coverage for businesses, including Black-owned firms, to ensure all workers get the money they’re owed on time and that startups and entrepreneurs won’t be harmed because of the failures of their bank.
Last year’s bank failures highlighted how shortsighted it was when Trump-era regulators weakened the guardrails, including robust capital, liquidity, stress testing, resolution planning, and other requirements. Thankfully, Biden’s regulators are correcting this, and should quickly finalize the Basel III Endgame proposal, which would strengthen bank capital requirements for the largest banks.
Our federal agencies must also do a better job of looking under the hood of banks, and especially at the largest banks. Frontline bank examiners cannot hesitate when they see something wrong, and our regulators cannot be afraid to use any tool at their disposal, including blocking future growth of or even breaking up a megabank. As Wells Fargo repeatedly broke the law and harmed millions who were disproportionately Black, I drafted legislation that would take the kid gloves off of the regulators so that they could effectively protect our communities.
And most importantly, the failure of SVB, a bank that was the go-to bank for startups highlights how precarious the availability of capital is for Black consumers and Black-owned businesses. After all, the 2008 Great Recession had a disproportionate impact on Black households with respect to wealth and homeownership, eliminating for many a source of capital to start a business. That’s why I continue to advance legislation like my racial equity bill entitled the, “Financial Services Racial Equity, Inclusion, and Economic Justice Act,” which passed in the House and received bipartisan support.
A year has passed since the historic bank failures of SVB, Signature Bank and First Republic, but the Republican leadership has blocked Congress from taking even the most basic steps necessary to prevent such a crisis from happening again. Now is the time to act to protect our economy.
Home Often Determines Opportunity. We Must Stop Source of Income-based Housing Discrimination
By: Senator Tim Kaine
In 1964, the Civil Rights Act was signed into law to outlaw segregation and discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. Four years later, housing discrimination was outlawed by the Fair Housing Act.
Few things have a bigger impact on a person or family’s quality of life than their living situation. While we have made major strides, we still have a long way to go to ensure that every American—regardless of race—can find housing free from discrimination. Throughout my 18-year career practicing law in Richmond, decades after those landmark anti-discrimination laws were passed, I saw clear-cut cases of housing discrimination. Housing discrimination can mean you cannot move to the neighborhood that is closest to your job, or closest to public transit, or in the best school district for your kids. Unfortunately, while the forms of discrimination shift and adapt, we are still dealing with this problem today.
The Housing Choice Voucher program was created by the federal government to assist low-income families with their rent, enabling them to move to units in buildings and neighborhoods that work for their family. This is a great program that provides access to housing for over two million households, but it is incredibly under-resourced. It can take years to make it onto a waitlist for vouchers, and years more before getting a voucher.
Some local housing agencies have average wait times of over seven years. If a family is lucky enough to receive a voucher—which only 1 in 4 eligible families do—they can have as little as two months to find an eligible housing option to use it on.
This means families often have to race the clock to actually use the voucher they waited years for once they have it in hand. A nd because there are no federal protections for source of income (SOI) discrimination, bad-faith landlords can use vouchers as a proxy to discriminate against people who belong to protected groups.
Voucher denials can quickly turn a family’s housing insecurity challenges into a full-blown crisis. Each denial of a voucher eats into a family’s window to find new housing, potentially resulting in that family losing a voucher they waited years to receive. In 2023, fair housing organizations reported about 2,400 housing discrimination complaints based on SOI. Much more likely goes unreported, particularly since only a little more than half of voucher holders are covered by state or local protections.
SOI discrimination can particularly impact veterans when property management companies reject Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH) vouchers that are meant to help veterans with disabilities find housing. Those who have made immense sacrifices for our country shouldn’t come home only to have trouble finding a place to live. Of course, not all landlords who choose not to accept housing vouchers do so for discriminatory reasons. Accepting these vouchers can come with strings attached in the form of potentially lengthy inspections from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) that many landlords want to avoid.
But even without intentional discrimination, the lack of voucher acceptance still disproportionately impacts communities of color. About 65 percent of voucher holders and 66 percent of households on waitlists for housing vouchers at large housing agencies are Black. A 2018 HUD study also showed that vouchers were denied more often in higher-income areas—effectively penalizing people using vouchers to seek better living conditions for themselves and their families.
That is why we should work to pass source of income protections by enacting my Fair Housing Improvement Act to ban voucher discrimination nationwide. Low-income families and veterans should be able to access stable housing regardless of how they pay for it, especially when they’ve waited years to have the chance. Localities that have SOI protections in their housing codes have significantly lower rates of voucher denial, and voucher users nationwide deserve those protections.
Housing matters are at the heart of many people’s lives. Where you live can determine what schools your kids go to, how clean your water is, and what job you have. These things shouldn’t depend on your race, sex, religion—or on how you pay your rent. We should pass nationwide source of income protections to ensure that the Housing Choice Voucher Program can work as intended and to let families who have been waiting years to move into a better neighborhood do so. It’s long past time.
Senator
is a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, Armed Services Committee, Foreign Relations Committee, and Budget Committee.
Tim Kaine (D-VA)
The barriers to broadband adoption
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Nearly one-third of American workers lack basic digital skills.
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Local experts hold the key to unlocking digital skills.
Digital Navigators, individuals trained to help people develop online skills, are critical to reducing socioeconomic inequality. Comcast is using part of its $1 billion commitment to expand its Digital Navigator network across the country.
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of respondents said they used the Internet more frequently.
found a new job or earned a higher income.
The Farm, Food, and National Security Act is a Win for Black America
By: Congressman Glenn Thompson
As Chairman of the Agriculture Committee, I have had the honor of traveling coast to coast listening to the hardworking men and women of American agriculture. I took what I learned on the road and drafted a farm bill responsive to those concerns. The bipartisan Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2024—monumental legislation that not only secures the future of American agriculture, but addresses the unique challenges faced by Black farmers and communities across the nation. This farm bill is critical to ensuring food security, revitalizing rural America, and bolstering our national security.
Central to this farm bill is a commitment to supporting our farmers and ranchers in managing risk and navigating market uncertainties. Simply put, we are putting more “farm” back into the farm bill. Agricultural producers are greatly affected by numerous factors outside of their control, ranging from extreme weather to geopolitical instability. Since the 2018 Farm Bill, producers have faced catastrophic incidents including trade wars, a global pandemic, fractured supply chains, labor shortages, and rising input costs due to record inflation.
Crop insurance – a vital risk management tool – is available to help producers manage the unique risks of farming and is delivered through an effective public-private partnership. The Federal government shares in the cost of the premiums, which would otherwise be unaffordable for most farmers. Our farm bill provides critical assistance to producers during times of price volatility. By enhancing programs like the Price Loss Coverage and Agriculture Risk Coverage, we are providing much-needed stability to all who feed our nation.
But our commitment doesn’t stop there. Our farm bill recognizes the importance of preserving our natural resources while promoting sustainable agriculture. Through increased investment and modernization of conservation programs, we are empowering farmers, ranchers, and growers who choose to adopt practices that protect soil health, improve water quality, and enhance wildlife habitat.
America’s producers are facing the largest agricultural trade deficit ever, but it doesn’t have to be this way. The Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2024 expands market access for U.S. producers while addressing trade barriers and infrastructure deficiencies. By bolstering programs like the Market Access Program and Foreign Market Development program, we are not only creating new opportunities for Black farmers but unleashing economic growth and innovation in rural America.
Our farm bill takes significant steps to address food insecurity and promote healthier eating habits. By investing in programs that support access to nutritious foods, especially in underserved communities, we are tackling disparities that have long plagued Black Americans. By refocusing our federal nutrition programs to support upward mobility and promote integrity and accountability, we are ensuring these programs efficiently serve needy households while empowering individuals to achieve self-sufficiency.
Access to credit is another critical component of agricultural success, particularly for young, beginning, veteran, and minority farmers. Our farm bill increases loan limits for both direct and guaranteed loans, streamlines beginning farmer experience requirements, and enhances the Heirs Property Relending Program. This expands financing options and provides resources to support farmers not only as they start their operation, but also as they pass it to the next generation. By protecting and enhancing the ability of commercial lenders to provide rural America with a reliable source of credit, we are breaking down barriers and fostering entrepreneurship in communities that have been historically marginalized.
The Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2024 also prioritizes rural development and research as well, recognizing the interconnectedness of these areas in promoting economic growth and innovation. Key provisions of our farm bill include strengthening rural broadband, investing in our 1890 land-grant universities, and maintaining our competitive edge when it comes to agricultural research with countries like China.
I am particularly proud of the work we’ve done to support and increase funding for our 1890 land-grant universities which are historically black colleges. This includes providing $100 million in mandatory funding for scholarships for students at 1890 institutions to help educate the next generation of agriculturists. Our farm bill also establishes two new 1890 Centers of Excellence to enhance the profitability and rural prosperity in underserved farming communities, providing international training and development, and increasing diversity in the science, technology, engineering, agriculture and mathematics pipeline.
The Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2024 is not just a farm bill; it’s a testament to our nation’s commitment to equity, opportunity, and resilience. By addressing the specific challenges faced by Black farmers and communities, we are not only strengthening our agricultural economy but also our national security.
Congressman Glenn Thompson represents Pennsylvania’s 15th Congressional District is the Chairman of the Agriculture Committee of the House of Representatives.
DEI Saves Lives: The Urgent Call for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Medicine
By: Congresswoman Joyce Beatty
Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in medicine is not just a set of ideals—it saves lives. Health outcomes in communities of color improve when diverse and culturally competent professionals provide quality care. As medical schools develop the next generation of physicians, they must continue to employ DEI-informed policies and practices. These initiatives are crucial to support Black physicians, ensure all doctors receive culturally competent training, and safeguard the health and longevity of Black Americans, who too often are failed by our health care system. Recently, House Republicans introduced legislation to cut federal funding to medical schools if they adopt policies and requirements relating to DEI. Now more than ever, we must champion DEI in medical education and medicine.
DEI programs in medical education help address the severe underrepresentation of Black physicians—a gap with life-and-death consequences for the Black community. Black Americans constitute 12 percent of the U.S. population, yet only 5.7 percent of U.S. doctors are Black. Research indicates that a 10 percent increase in Black doctors correlates with a one-month increase in Black life expectancy, demonstrating the impact of DEI in medicine. One study even found that Black people living in areas with more Black doctors have lower death rates, even if they have not personally seen those doctors. The mere presence of Black doctors in a community has a powerful life-saving effect, underscoring the need for more of them.
DEI initiatives in medicine and medical education not only promote the presence of Black doctors but also address implicit bias and stereotyping that affect medical care. When these biases go unchallenged, they result in poorer health care experiences for Black patients. For example, false beliefs about “biological differences” between Black and white people have led to significant disparities in pain assessment and treatment. Training in culturally competent care, a cornerstone of DEI-informed medical education, addresses these dangerous misconceptions that can skew medical judgments and treatment decisions. Cultural competence training also equips physicians for better patient interactions, improved care quality, and higher patient satisfaction. This approach is important for patients with chronic conditions, who interact with the health care system frequently. Older African Americans are disproportionately affected by chronic conditions like hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease —conditions that are among the most costly in America . Thus, DEI initiatives in medical education are both morally imperative and economically beneficial, as healthier populations reduce overall health care costs.
Despite these clear benefits, some critics argue that DEI in medical education is discriminatory. This perspective ignores the historical context of white privilege and the persistent barriers faced by aspiring Black doctors. Consider this: three-quarters of research universities and elite liberal arts colleges—including their medical schools—consider legacy status in admissions decisions, a practice that disproportionately benefits highincome, predominantly white households. Not surprisingly, 70-80 percent of medical students come from high-income households, which are overwhelmingly white. This systemic bias helps explain why 60 percent of U.S. physicians are white, while Black doctors are underrepresented relative to their share of the population. DEI recruitment and retention strategies are essential to correcting this imbalance by addressing socioeconomic and other barriers for Black medical students.
However, the prospect of more Black doctors and culturally competent medical training is threatening to some House Republicans. They have introduced the EDUCATE Act, which seeks to cut federal funding for medical schools and accrediting agencies using DEI-informed strategies. It prioritizes intolerance over the innovation that DEI has fostered across numerous sectors, threatening our global leadership in medical science by undermining the inclusive strategies that drive progress. In response, I have introduced H. Res.1180, a resolution supported by over 25 medical and medical education organizations, including the Association of American Medical Colleges, the American College of Physicians, and the American Federation of Teachers: Education, Healthcare, Public Services. H. Res.1180 reaffirms the critical role of DEI initiatives in advancing health equity and commits to supporting these programs and preserving academic freedom in medical education.
As states like Alabama, Texas, and Florida move to eliminate DEI programs in higher education, the federal government must act to protect and enhance funding for DEI in medical education. We must provide greater incentives and support to institutions to withstand these regressive attacks. We cannot allow Black lives or the future of Black doctors to be endangered by political pandering. Culturally competent care saves Black lives. Diversity, equity, and inclusion in medicine ensures Black Americans receive the life-preserving care they need and deserve.
Congresswoman Beatty is co-chair of the Congressional Black Caucus’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Task Force, Chair Emerita of the Congressional Black Caucus, and former chair of the first-ever Financial Services Subcommittee on Diversity and Inclusion.
Congresswoman Joyce Beatty represents Ohio’s 3rd Congressional District and is the Ranking Member of the House Financial Services Subcommittee on National Security, Illicit Finance, and International Financial Institutions. She is Chair Emerita of the Congressional Black Caucus.
More Progress is Possible Against Gun Violence
By: Congresswoman Robin Kelly
I came to Washington because I couldn’t stand by and watch Congress do nothing while children were ripped away from their families day after day. While gun violence recently became the leading cause of death for children in 2020, it’s been the leading cause of death for Black children since 2006.
Just months before I was sworn into office, Hadiya Pendleton was shot and killed at a park in my district. She was just 15 years old. The week before Hadiya’s life was cut short, she had performed with her band at President Barack Obama’s second inauguration. She had a bright life ahead of her, and it was snuffed out by gun violence. Her legacy lives on through her family and friends who started Wear Orange, and it’s now the national color of the gun violence prevention movement. I introduced the Wear Orange Resolution this year for Hadiya, who should’ve been turning 27 years old, to honor her life and every victim of gun violence.
We must remember the lives we are fighting for – the people who are no longer here to speak for themselves. Their memories and their loved ones keep me going. It has been an uphill battle, but we have made progress.
With President Joe Biden, a committed gun safety champion, we’ve been able to expand background checks to nearly all gun sales. We now also have the first Office of Gun Violence Prevention, which is led by Vice President Kamala Harris and is dedicated to finding solutions to end gun violence and supporting communities impacted by gun violence. We have also made historic investments toward community violence intervention programs, which addresses the root causes of gun violence and approaches the issue holistically.
All these advancements came after we broke a nearly 30-year logjam in Congress and passed the first federal gun safety legislation, the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA). It included some of my important work to stop illegal gun trafficking.
We can save lives by preventing gun trafficking and straw purchasing – when a person legally buys a gun for someone else who would not pass a background check or can’t buy a gun. We don’t allow people over 21 to buy alcohol for people underage, so why wouldn’t we do the same for guns?
Gun trafficking greatly affects my district, especially in Chicago where 60 percent of crime guns are from out of state. A lot of naysayers like to point their fingers at Chicago as an example of why gun laws don’t work. What they don’t mention, however, are the weak gun laws in the neighboring states of Indiana and Wisconsin. While we have made progress on the federal level, those two states have made it easier for anyone to buy a gun without a background check. Our patchwork of state laws makes cities like Chicago vulnerable to guns coming in and causing carnage and pain.
I first introduced my Prevent Gun Trafficking Act 10 years ago. Back then, no action was taken to advance my bill. But now, the tides have turned, and people are listening across the country and here in Congress. Because of BSCA, gun trafficking is illegal and can be prosecuted.
My work that was included in BSCA created a new federal statute to target illegal trafficking and straw purchases. Since enactment, more than 500 individuals have been charged and face up to 15 years in prison. This will save lives and prevent guns from entering cities and states with strong gun laws.
That’s just a snapshot of the progress we’ve made in the past 10 years. But I also know the epidemic of gun violence has gotten worse, and every year, over 43,000 Americans die from gun violence. For the first time, though, the gun lobby is on the run. We will take our progress and use it as momentum in this fight to end gun violence once and for all.
It’s Time to End Racial Hair Discrimination
By: Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman
For almost all of his junior year of high school, Darryl George sat alone in a cubicle. He had just started at Barbers Hill High School in Texas when he was singled out for his hair. Darryl, a young Black man, wears his hair in locs — as Black people have for centuries. But this prompted outcry from school authorities in the overwhelmingly white school district, who claimed that his hair violated the dress code. Never mind the fact that his locs were tied neatly atop his head. He was suspended
There are many different ways racism is concealed in this country. It’s pervasive and pernicious; it uses different and insidious forms to disguise itself. Eventually, however, the truth is always laid bare.
While Darryl was under suspension, the superintendent of the school district took out an ad in the paper defending his decision . It read, in part, “ being an American requires conformity. ” It’s pretty clear what this white superintendent means by conformity, and what he wants others to conform to.
Unfortunately, Darryl’s case is not unique, and it’s not limited only to students. This kind of discrimination is all too common in the workplace as well.
Last year, DOVE and LinkedIn conducted a study to uncover the status of hair discrimination in employment settings. The results are deeply troubling. Roughly two in three — 66% — of Black women report changing their hair before a job interview. Of these women, 41% changed their hair from curly to straight. Black women’s hair is two-and-a-half times more likely to be perceived as unprofessional, and 20% — that’s one in five — young Black women report being sent home from work because of their hair.
This has serious and lasting impacts on economic opportunities for Black people, especially Black women. It perpetuates cycles of inequality, and does lasting damage to the mental health of anyone on the receiving end of this hate. It’s clear that a legislative solution is needed. That federal protections must be enacted. That’s why I reintroduced the CROWN Act this Spring.
The CROWN Act would protect against discrimination based on hair texture. By adding protective hair styles and textures — those associated with a racial or ethnic group — to the characteristics covered by the Civil Rights Act, the bill seeks to end this proxy for racial discrimination in workplaces and schools that receive public funding.
While Texas has its own version of the CROWN Act on the books, a judge ruled that the state statute did not prohibit the kind of discrimination Darryl George has been subjected to. This absurdly narrow interpretation of the state law effectively nullifies it, highlighting the need for national action.
By passing federal legislation under the Civil Rights Act, we can create nationwide protections, and ensure that what’s happening to Darryl George and countless others across the country would finally be put to a stop. Not only is this a straightforward and effective solution to the problem, it’s an incredibly popular one, too.
According to Data for Progress , a research and polling firm, an outright majority of likely voters support the CROWN Act. That includes 72% of Democrats, 54% of Independents, and 64% of voters under 45. It’s clear that most people support these protections, and would like to see them enacted.
Now, it’s incumbent on the House to take up this bill and pass it. As the data show, it’s not a controversial measure. What is controversial is inaction. What’s controversial is allowing this kind of racism - masquerading as dress codes or prevailing notions of “professionalism” - to continue unaddressed.
Junior year came and went and Darryl George still was not allowed to attend classes with his peers. We must pass the CROWN Act so that no student, no worker, no person is denied the opportunity to live a full and dignified life because of the color of their skin or the way their hair grows out of their head.
Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman represents New Jersey’s 12th Congressional District, is a member of the Appropriations Committee, and is the co-founder and co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on Black Women and Girls.
We Must Uplift Black Women Leaders
By: Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland
Throughout my leadership journey, I have been a “first” in many situations – the first Black woman elected Mayor of Tacoma, the first Black woman to serve as President of the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, the first Black woman elected to Congress from the Pacific Northwest, and one of the first Korean American women elected to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives. But being the first should not mean being the last. It means paving the way for whoever comes next, cultivating and supporting talent, and ensuring the door is open for whoever follows your lead.
Earlier this year, April Sims, President of the Washington State Labor Council AFL-CIO joined me as my official guest to President Biden’s 3rd State of the Union address. April is the first African American woman to serve as president of a state AFL-CIO labor council. She is a history-making leader who understands the power of promoting and believing in Black women.
Black women in government represent and do work on behalf of all women and communities across the country. They advocate for themselves, their peers, and future agents of change. Basic reproductive rights are on the line right now – Black and minority women are among the most affected by restricting access. It’s inequitable, and it’s wrong.
The fall of Roe v. Wade left us with a patchwork of protections across the country. Black women are leading and advocating for their own communities and basic rights – even as those same rights continue to be attacked and stripped away. 21 states currently have restrictive laws for safe and legal abortion. I was proud to lead the Ensuring Women’s Right to Reproductive Freedom Act, to protect a woman’s right to travel across state lines for reproductive care.
The legislation I lead is often written for Black women, our communities, and our families. We know that disparities for the Black community persist in access to health care, life expectancy, home ownership, economic security, public safety, education, and more.
We must invest in Black women - both inside and outside of national politics. Let me be clear: inclusion and qualifications are not mutually exclusive. Diversity makes us stronger – even as MAGA extremists try to argue otherwise.
We are on a path to supporting more “firsts” and following the lead of electing Vice President Kamala Harris, and we must do more. This means electing more Black women to Congress, and supporting them when they pursue leadership positions while they are there.
This means supporting young Black women in pursuit of non-traditional professions. It means funding HBCUs to foster future leadership, investing in diversifying our STEM fields, and boosting minority contracting and small business ownership. Investin g in Black women is an investment in the future of our country.
Uplifting the Black community, and most specifically, Black women is not a zero-sum game. Doing so is good for all of our communities, our nation, and moves us closer to living up to the promise of liberty and justice for all.
Buy Now, Pay Later Benefits Americans
By: Congressman Byron Donalds
During my time as a financial professional, I was able to see firsthand the real impact that innovations in financial technologies played in the day to day lives of many Americans. Since joining Congress in 2021, one of my top legislative priorities has been to promote the domestic growth of these FinTech services and protect against the never-ending efforts by the federal government to stifle the private sector with overly burdensome regulation. The rapid advancements in commercial technology have not only created new economic opportunities but have also modernized time-tested business practices. For example, the meteoric rise in e-commerce has brought with it the expansion of a digital variation of the old school layaway programs, known today as buy now, pay later.
Buy now, pay later, BNPL, is a financial tool that allows consumers to purchase and immediately receive goods and services while paying the total cost, in full, over a prescribed period of time. BNPL services come in different shapes and sizes, but typically they consist of four fixed, interest free payments over the course of two-week installment intervals. Buy now, pay later products are growing in popularity within the black community and among younger generations, with many users providing high favorability ratings of BNPL services. Of the various reasons for BNPL use cited by customers, flexibility, convenience, lower or no interest rates, and an easy approval process are the most common. This alternative to the traditional credit card system has shown a host of benefits, not just to consumers but also to businesses and the American economy as a whole.
Research conducted by the payment processing platform Stripe has shown that businesses who offer buy now, pay later options to customers at checkout have seen increase both number of sales and the size of orders. The data further shows that BNPL services can help businesses reach new customer bases. On the other side of the coin, interest free BNPL capabilities allow consumers to make purchases while comfortably paying installments they can afford. In addition to providing convenience, BNPLs help to maintain smooth, stable cash flows for individuals without some of the risks associated with high interest credit cards, minimum balance requests, or overdraft fees. This flexible payment option has also helped bridge the economic gap those Americans who, for whatever reason, have not participated in the traditional financial system.
Under the broad and opaque disguise of “consumer protection,” the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, CFPB, issued a new interpretive rule in May of 2024, that would treat all buy now, pay later services as conventional credit card providers, despite the obvious differences between the two services. Let me be clear: I am not advocating against protecting consumers from bad actors or illicit behavior, full stop. I am also not offering financial advice or recommending that buy now, pay later replace any other payment methods. What I am saying is that free-market innovation and consumer choice should drive the economic engine of America, not heavy-handed government directives. Rather than unelected bureaucrats selectively “interpreting” inapplicable regulations for political purposes, consumers and business alike would greatly benefit from an honest, thorough, and detailed analysis of the buy now, pay later ecosystem. That is why I recently introduced the Examining Consumer Choice in Digital Payments Act, H.R. 8628
The Examining Consumer Choice in Digital Payments Act prohibits the CFPB from issuing any new rule or internal guidance for buy now, pay later services until they complete a study that would examine the use of BNPL and compare it with other payment options. The bill also requires the Government Accountability Office, GAO, to verify study’s findings and it withdraws the recent interpretive guidance titled ‘‘Use of Digital User Accounts to Access Buy Now, Pay Later Loans.’’ The status quo of blindly overregulating new and emerging industries for political purposes will only set us back as a country and will continue to drive entrepreneurs offshore to more favorable nations. We in Congress, at the very least, owe the American people a genuine and comprehensive review as well as a serious discussion before any policy decisions are made that would dramatically impact not just the current marketplace, but future economic opportunities for Americans everywhere.
REPRESENTING BLACK CULTURE FOR 44+ YEARS!
Urban One is the leading voice speaking with and advocating for Black America. Through our unique ecosystem of digital, audio, television, social media and podcasting platforms we create and distribute premium original content to diverse audiences at-scale.
• THE LARGEST BLACK-OWNED, BLACK-TARGETED MULTIMEDIA COMPANY IN THE COUNTRY • REACHING 93 MILLION UNIQUE CONSUMERS MONTHLY • CONNECTING WITH 2 OUT OF 3 BLACK CONSUMERS MONTHLY
is the award-winning branded entertainment, integrated marketing, strategic partnerships and PR one-stop-shop within Urban One. We develop innovative brand-relevant strategies and tactical solutions that are grounded in Black culture and nuances by leveraging Urban One’s proprietary research panel, One Community. OS enhances a brand’s level of engagement with our 93 million unique consumers monthly, while providing a higher level of visibility and reach. RECIPIENT OF 55 INDUSTRY AWARDS (2016-2024),
CAPABILITIES
The radio and television member stations of the Maryland-D.C.-Delaware Broadcasters Association take great pride in serving their local communities.
MDCD’s local broadcasters take very seriously the obligation inherent in each station’s federal license to operate in the public interest. In fact, we embrace that obligation. We deliver trusted, local news and information to our listeners and viewers. Everyday. All day. All night. 24/7. We are here for the people in the communities we serve.
MDCD’s broadcasters also support the local communities in which they live and work. We promote small businesses and air public service announcements. We hold fundraisers and food drives. We give back.
We do so in good times and bad. We do so in times of crisis, of challenge, of change. Always. But we can’t always do it alone.
MDCD thanks the Members of Congress who have supported and continue to support local broadcasters.
Specifically, MDCD thanks those Members of Congress who:
• Support local radio by cosponsoring the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act and the Local Radio Freedom Act.
• Help promote, preserve, and defend local journalism in the age of “Big Tech,” through cosponsoring legislation such as the Journalism Competition and Preservation Act.
MDCD’s broadcasters will never stop serving our communities. We will always be here for our viewers and listeners – for your constituents.
Thank you for being there for us.
ENGAGING BLACK AMERICA 2024: A CALL TO ACTION
About Us
The National Medical Association (NMA) is the collective voice of African American physicians and the oldest national organization representing their interests in the United States. As a 501(c)(3) professional and scientific organization, the NMA represents the interests of the 50,000 African American physicians and their patients. The NMA is dedicated to improving health equity among minorities and disadvantaged populations through professional development, community health education, advocacy, research, and partnerships.
Engage Black America 2024: A Call to Action
The NMA is dedicated to addressing critical issues affecting African American communities. As we advance through 2024, we remain committed to advocating for public health, nurturing the next generation of Black physicians and engaging policymakers to drive meaningful change in the healthcare arena.
Key Focus Areas
Bridging disparities in health outcomes with targeted campaigns and community-based initiatives.
Supporting practicing physicians with robust CME programs and aspiring physicians through mentorship and scholarships.
Promoting clean energy solutions to protect our communities from environmental hazards.
Enhancing job training and equitable access to career opportunities, particularly in healthcare.
Addressing economic barriers and promoting initiatives to alleviate poverty and improve health outcomes.
Pushing for reforms to address systemic inequalities impacting healthcare and improving public health.
