Now that Democrats have passed the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill, the Congressional Black Caucus must advocate for priority investments in the Black workforce. As important, the Biden White House has an obligation to use the infrastructure money to remedy the legacy of racial injustice.
After the signing ceremony, the Biden administration will begin awarding contracts behind closed doors. Absent CBC lobbying, there appear to be no provisions for using the money to “build back better” the Black labor force.
Yet not long ago, during the Black Lives Matter protests, Democratic candidates campaigned on the promise to explore reparations for the legacy of slavery and Jim Crow. For example, my senator, Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), endorsed a platform of “reparations” during the presidential primaries.