Watson Coleman Urges Commission on Racial Disparities as Day-One Priority for Biden Administration 

Washington, DC (January 11, 2021) — Following what many noted was a stark contrast in the treatment by police of a blatantly violent and destructive mob at the U.S. Capitol building on January 6 and the treatment by police of primarily peaceful racial justice protestors last summer, Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman today urged President-elect Joe Biden to empanel a commission to study, and recommend solutions for, racial disparities across American society. In a letter, Watson Coleman asked Biden to make this commission, which Watson Coleman hopes will cover challenges as diverse as maternal health and school discipline practices, a day-one priority for his administration.

“Many Americans were outraged by the mob attacking the building which you aptly called ‘the citadel of liberty,’ and it did not take long for some to note that the response to the mostly white insurrectionists was less aggressive and more compassionate than would ever be tolerated if those protesters were African American,” Watson Coleman writes. “Disparities with the same foundations exist with disastrous impact across the Black experience – in education, in healthcare, in employment, in access to housing, in approval for credit and financial tools, and even in daily necessities as simple as car insurance. For decades, work to address these disparities have simmered on the backburner, and for four years under Donald Trump, we’ve lost critical ground. Our communities cannot afford to wait any longer.”

In an election in which the Black community was central to President-elect Biden’s victory, a failure to prioritize these disparities – particularly with graphic examples of their far-reaching impact like both the attack on the Capitol and the ever-growing death toll of the coronavirus pandemic – would be an insurmountable betrayal. While Biden has assembled a team that is as talented as it is diverse, setting aside tangible action on this issue will make his work to build a cabinet that looks like America feel hollow.

To see the full letter, click here.