Several Black civil rights leaders participated in a call with former vice president Joe Biden, the Democratic presidential nominee, a day after the release of “Lift Every Voice: The Biden Plan for Black America.”
Among the participants were Rev. Al Sharpton, president of the National Action Network; Melanie Campbell, convener of the Black Women’s Roundtable Public Policy Network; Derrick Johnson, president and CEO of the NAACP; and Marc Morial, president & CEO of the National Urban League.
“As the world grapples with the disparities faced by Blacks in America in the wake of COVID-19, the country needs a stalwart leader that will tackle the systemic inequities that have been exacerbated with the current administration,” said Sharpton. “Many in the civil rights community are looking for Biden to be bold around criminal justice reform, infrastructure development and education to lay the groundwork for more opportunity when it comes to jobs and better quality of life for communities most in need. I also urge Biden to fulfill his commitment to appointing a Black woman to the Supreme Court as well as to prioritize diversity of experience and thought in his administration. The Black community knows that it is essential for a person of color to have the ear of the president.”
Campbell shared the need to focus on issues critical to Black women, including racism, closing the wage gap and voter suppression.
“There is so much at stake for Black women in this election and we are the voting block that is often the agent for change,” Campbell said.
“I am heartened by the efforts of Vice President Joe Biden to convene a call to highlight and uplift the often overlooked plight of African Americans, especially during a time when our community is experiencing the detrimental health and economic impacts of COVID-19 at an astounding rate,” said Johnson. “Ultimately, we need a leader and administration that will be empathetic and implement policies across health care, the economy, and our educational system that will close the racial wealth gap and deliver on America’s promise of liberty and justice for all.”
Morial also raised the issue of voter protection and voter suppression.
“A no-excuse vote-by-mail program with prepaid postage and expanded early voting would go a long way toward expanding access to the ballot and ensuring that the pandemic is not used as an excuse to trample vulnerable Americans’ right to vote.”
