The Truth is Powerful
Over the past year, two issues have erupted into the national consciousness: jobs and racial justice.
As a result of George Floyd’s murder by white police officers and COVID-19’s trail of destruction (with job losses and illness hitting Black Americans especially hard), the U.S. is having a long-overdue reckoning with the consequences of a laissez-faire economic philosophy and a disingenuous commitment to colorblindness.
Now is the right moment for President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris to promote a mix of race-conscious and race-neutral reforms that set the stage for a more equitable economy.
First, they should directly address the labor market’s well-documented racial discrimination by strengthening the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
The administration should also act to broadly improve people’s working conditions and labor market prospects, which will in turn reduce racial disparities.
These race-neutral actions include supporting worker power and helping young people navigate the obstacle course that is the transition from school to adulthood and a good job.
Fight discrimination by strengthening the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
Black workers face undeniable discrimination in the labor market. An analysis of racial discrimination in hiring since 1990 found the “magnitude and consistency of discrimination” to be a […]