EXCLUSIVE: Biden administration announces executive order to close education gap and bring capital to black Americans

President Joe Biden signed an executive order on Tuesday (October 19th) seeking to begin the work needed to bridge and eliminate racial disparities in education in the United States and, as a result, provide economic opportunities. The administration has directed a working group of senior government officials to study and implement best practices that will improve education and ultimately financial performance for black Americans.

The order is entitled ” White House initiative to promote justice in education,, Excellent achievements and economic opportunities for black Americans,, and it is a comprehensive plan that addresses issues ranging from access to education for 3- and 4-year-olds to black students at HBCU, as well as those attending other high school, commercial, and vocational schools.

Biden’s order explicitly cites “persistent racial and systemic injustices” as the main reason why black students often go to the poorest schools with the least progress. Subsequently, this lack of educational opportunities often leaves these children, as they grow older, with less and less lucrative career opportunities.

Recognizing this, the executive order describes the use of internships, apprenticeships, and partnerships with private sector companies to expose black students to careers and areas in which they are usually underrepresented. There are also plans to emphasize education and training that will allow black students to enter STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) fields.

As Americans struggle to regain some sense of normalcy after 18 months of blocking COVID, the country’s economy is set to shrink by $ 16 trillion from the loss of productivity and business, according to a study by the Journal of the American Medical Association.

The president’s order states that the pandemic is a big part of the need to improve the status quo, saying: “So that our nation can equally recover from the COVID-19 crisis and ensure that every black person in America has a fair shot in the American dream we must advance in justice and excellence in public education and access to economic opportunities. “

In addition, factors outside the classroom, including the elimination of discriminatory enrollment, accommodation, transport and other policies that lead to racial and socio-economic problems, will also be explored and addressed by the working group.

What will Does the White House’s initiative to promote justice in education, excellence, and economic opportunity apply specifically to black Americans?

To promote equality in the schools of our nation and to promote the economic opportunity that follows for black students, families in communities, by focusing on specific policy objectives. First, there needs to be a common understanding of the educational challenges facing black students, to increase black students’ access to early childhood programs and services that promote healthy learning, to address this bullying of black students, especially in special education, to improve the collection of data related to black students and to ensure that all black students have access to excellent teachers and school leaders through a positive engagement with them and their families.

How will the Initiative lead to jobs?

The initiative will monitor and support the development of black students through federal coordination and funding in education, the workforce, research, and business development policies and programs. Job, entrepreneurship, financial education and mentoring training programs will be set up to help empower black students for further economic stability.

Since taking office in January, the Biden-Harris administration has spent the past 10 months working to address the lasting impact of systemic racism on black communities.

Here are just some of the areas in which the administration is claiming success for black people in a White House newsletter called “The Biden-Harris Administration Improves Equality and Opportunities for Blacks and Communities Across the Country.”

Finance

Providing immediate assistance to black people and families through the American Rescue Plan. ARP provides cash relief directly to low- and middle-income Americans and is expected to reduce child poverty among blacks by more than 50 percent this year and has already reduced black child poverty by 40.1 percent, raising about 420,000 blacks. children from poverty only between June and July.

Using Federal Public Procurement to Reduce the Racial Wealth Gap for Black Entrepreneurs and Families. President Biden has directed agencies to use federal purchasing power to increase federal contracts by 50 percent with disadvantaged small businesses, including black-owned companies, by 50 percent, which will lead to an additional $ 100 billion over five years.

Expanding a rescue line to combat small business. The US rescue plan provides emergency subsidies, loans and investments for severely affected small businesses

Homes and land

Helping black Americans stay in their homes. President Biden’s U.S. rescue plan has helped Americans stay in their homes by providing emergency assistance to cover rents. In addition, ARP helps troubled homeowners make up for their mortgage payments and utility costs through the Landlord Support Fund. It also provides additional funding for families and individuals recovering from or at risk of homelessness.

Assisting Black Land owners in resolving property issues. Approximately 60% of black land owned by blacks in the south is owned by heirs, which has historically made owners ineligible for USDA programs, including lending. In July, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) launched the Heir Liberation Property Program, which provides funds to assist heirs in resolving issues related to the ownership and inheritance of multi-owner agricultural lands.

Police and justice reform

Prohibition of suffocation. In September, the Ministry of Justice (DOJ) announced a ban on the use of throttles and carotid artery restraints, except when lethal force is required

New restrictions on non-hammering orders. Implement administrative reforms for federal law enforcement that the president has called on Congress to pass across the country through the George Floyd Police Justice Act.

Restoration of the use of consent decrees for the cessation of systemic police violations. The Ministry of Justice repealed guidelines from the previous administration, restricting the use of consent decrees to reform police departments with a pattern or practice of discrimination and misconduct.

Improving the prosecutor’s leadership to prevent unnecessarily severe penalties. The Ministry of Justice has withdrawn guidelines issued by the previous administration requiring prosecutors to always impose the harshest sentences, replacing it with guidelines that restore discretion in making decisions about charges, plea agreements and advocacy for sentencing. based on an individual assessment of the relevant facts.

Overcoming police violations. The president strongly supports the George Floyd Justice Act in the police force. He is disappointed that the legislation has not yet reached his desk, and will not wait to embark on significant police reform through enforcement action.

Enforcement order restricting the use of private prisons. The president has ordered the DOJ not to renew contracts for privately run criminal arrests involving the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) and the U.S. Marshall Service (USMS). When completed, this will result in the release of up to 14,000 people in BOP custody and 10,000 people in USMS custody from private prisons.

Support for Community Violence Intervention (CVI) programs. Black boys and young men aged 15-34 make up 2% of the population, but are 37% of homicide victims, and homicide is the leading cause of death for blacks under the age of 45. Violators and hospital programs, which have been shown to reduce violence by up to 60%, have been underfunded.

Voting rights

Support for voting rights. President Biden called on Congress to pass the John Lewis Enhancement Act and the Freedom of Vote Act, which together will set national standards that facilitate voting and provide new tools to prevent discrimination in voting.

Improving health outcomes for black communities

Reduce healthcare costs. Millions of lower- and middle-income black families registered in the health insurance markets see their premiums reduced or eliminated as a result of ARP. Across the country, existing consumers save an average of $ 67 per person per month from their premiums. These monthly savings were even higher in 20 states and the District of Columbia, where existing consumers saved an average of more than $ 75 a month.

– Millions of uninsured Americans received coverage during the special enrollment period in 2021 (SEP). Of the newcomers to HealthCare.gov’s coverage of race or ethnicity, 15 percent were black Americans, up from 60 percent in 2019.

-In April, President Biden issued the first-ever presidential proclamation for Maternal Health Week in black, calling on all Americans to recognize the importance of tackling the crisis of black maternal mortality and morbidity. In addition, the president’s budget request for fiscal 22 years includes more than $ 200 million to strengthen maternal mortality review committees, implement implicit bias training for health care providers, and create government programs for nursing homes, among others. with other actions.

Ensuring a fair pandemic response. Across the country, blacks died from COVID-19 1.4 times more than whites. ARP provided $ 160 billion for the vaccines, tests, personal protective equipment and public health workforce needed to tackle the spread of COVID-19, an investment that helps reduce racial disparities in prevention and care. Due to the ARP and other presidential investments in equal access to the COVID-19 vaccine, numerous studies have shown that the difference in the rate of vaccination against COVID in black Americans compared to whites and Hispanics is closed.

In January, President Biden signed an Executive Order to Ensure a Fair Pandemic Response and Recovery, establishing a Working Group on Health Equality for COVID-19 to provide specific recommendations to the President to mitigate health inequalities caused or exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. and to prevent similar inequalities in the future.

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