Friends,

Black History Month comes as a welcome reminder that it’s critical to always uplift Black stories, speak up about continued injustice, and celebrate Black history. It’s a time to simultaneously honor the incredible Black leaders, activists, and creators that have shaped America, and also to challenge ourselves to reflect on some of the history that has caused systemic inequality and recommit to changing it and building a more fair nation. In Congress, I remain committed to pushing for racial justice on a variety of fronts.

One of the issues I’m most focused on is closing the racial wealth gap. In September, I introduced my Low-Income First Time Homebuyers (LIFT) Act, which attempts to close the racial wealth gap by supporting first-time, first-generation homebuyers – predominantly people of color. By helping new homeowners shorten their mortgage and build equity faster, it’s a meaningful step towards making sure homeownership (and the generational wealth it creates) is accessible to all Americans.

I’ve also been working hard to pass meaningful voting rights legislation. State legislatures around the country have been targeting Black voters with discriminatory laws, and we need strong federal protections to prevent that. Unfortunately, what should be a commonsense, bipartisan priority has been met with tremendous obstruction from some of my colleagues. I have continued to endorse a carve-out to the filibuster so we can get this done, but we’re still encountering resistance.

I know that voting rights are the foundation of our democracy, and that we need federal protections to prevent disenfranchisement, especially for Black voters. I’m going to stay on top of this, and I’m joining a bipartisan group that’s working to see what we can get done this Congress. 

I also know that a lot of voting rights action happens in the courts, and so I’m also looking forward to carefully considering President Biden’s SCOTUS nominee, who he has promised will be a Black woman.

Finally, all month long, I’m uplifting the voices and history of Black Americans on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. If you’re interested in contacting me about voting rights or another issue, you can always email me through my website. I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,