Lawmakers, activists, actors press Biden on racial equity bills

More than 400 lawmakers, civil rights leaders, musicians and actors have sent a letter to President Biden urging him to support a list of Congressional bills on racial equity and reparative justice. 

The letter, led by UCLA professor of sociology and African American studies Marcus Anthony Hunter, who coined the phrase Black Lives Matter, calls for Biden to “meet with the Congressional members and advocates as soon as possible to tackle and attend to the unfinished work of advancing comprehensive equity through executive orders and actions.”

“As we face another election year, this conversation regarding urgent executive action on reparations is not just about policy—it is about the people of the United States of America, the fate of our democracy, national unity, and national security,” the letter states. 

The letter is signed by leaders including Derrick Johnson, president and CEO of the NAACP; civil rights attorney Ben Crump; the Rev. Al Sharpton; David J. Johns, executive director and CEO of the National Black Justice Coalition; and a host of Democratic congressional members including Reps. Barbara Lee (Calif), Sheila Jackson Lee (Texas), Cori Bush (Mo.), and Jamaal Bowman (N.Y.).

It’s not the first letter Biden has received this year from advocates. 

In February, a group of advocates teamed up with Black members of Congress to highlight 10 pieces of legislation centered on racial equity that Biden needed to work with Congress to pass. 

Advocates have been adamant that Biden needs to find a way to pass the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2023, policy on police reform and federal reparations. 

Friday’s letter to Biden said the more than 400 signees “remain ready and willing” to work with the administration to advance a comprehensive equity framework previous open letters have outlined.

“The state of our Union depends upon it,” the letter concludes.