John -- Candidate Joe Biden repeatedly promised to bring a racial reckoning to Washington and finally address the systemic marginalization of people of color.

Something you may not know: Black farmers have gone from owning 14% of American farmland in 1920 to owning just 1.6% today.

So what did President Biden do to help Black farmers? Instead of taking the opportunity to appoint as Secretary of Agriculture a qualified Black woman who Black farmers advocated for, Biden stuck with the status quo, choosing a white man who previously held the position AND stood in the way of progress while there.

Former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack has a long record of reinforcing the status quo of oppression, not working to eliminate it.
 

• In 2010, Vilsack forced the resignation of a Black USDA official, Shirley Sherrod, after a doctored video by far-right Breitbart News tarnished her reputation.
   

• Vilsack failed to address the Agriculture Department's systemic discrimination against Black farmers, even though he had nearly a decade to do so as Agriculture Secretary under the Obama administration.
   

• During his recent Senate confirmation hearing, racial equity and civil rights issues were barely mentioned despite their being central concerns over Vilsack’s appointment.
   

And what’s worse? Not only did President Biden appoint Vilsack, but the Senate Agriculture committee unanimously voted to confirm him despite knowing of these objections.

John Boyd, president of the National Black Farmers Association, said about the lack of questioning: “It was the Senate giving him a free pass. It wasn’t just Vilsack failing, it was the members of the Senate Ag Committee that failed.”

At Brand New Congress, we are dedicated to replacing members of Congress who fail to fight for racial equity with those who will. We are proud of our candidates such as AOC, Cori Bush, and Jamaal Bowman who were nominated and elected by the people of their own communities.

The current system is a vicious cycle of self-serving greed and corruption, and change can only begin by replacing every single member of Congress who fails to address systemic racism.

Will you stand with us and chip in $2 today to help elect representatives who will fight for the most marginalized communities in our nation?

Brand New Congress