Washington, D.C. (May 6, 2020) – Derrick Johnson, president and CEO of the NAACP, released the following statement on the Lift Every Voice Conference Call with Vice President Joe Biden.
“I am encouraged 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 hurting and facing the health and economic impacts of COVID-19 at a disproportionate rate.
Ultimately, the litmus test for the plan for Black America will be the policy framework, implementation, and addition of diverse voices to Vice President Biden’s decision-making team should he be elected as 46th president of the United States. We believe to remedy the staggering disparities existing within our society today, we must listen to those who are closest to the problems and make space for them as part of the team creating the solutions. COVID-19 has shined a bright light on longstanding racial inequities in health care, the economy, our educational system, and every facet of American life. Now is the time to confront them head-on and bring about lasting, structural change.
I look forward to the chance to continue these conversations about our combined efforts to create a world where justice and fairness reign. We hope that progress in criminal justice reform and remaking our federal judiciary are at the forefront of these discussions. At a time when the outlook for many Black Americans looks bleak, the sense of optimism and belief in a future where all Black families thrive is what I see reflected in the ideas generated by the Biden campaign. We are heartened and will wait in anticipation for action.
