(Washington, D.C.) – The US House of Representatives passed the American Rescue Plan, H.R.1319, today, a key step towards delivering to Black Americans and other communities of color who have been hit hardest by the pandemic the federal assistance they’ve long needed, a year into the global pandemic. The following is a statement from Damon Hewitt, acting president and executive director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law:
“The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the existing racial inequities in our society. The recovery and assistance effort must recognize the fundamental reality that Black Americans and other people of color have experienced higher rates of infection and death, and significantly greater economic fallout. Congress should prioritize aid for Black Americans and people of color, as communities of color face far more disadvantages–including stark racial health disparities, unequal access to education through remote learning, greater evictions and housing instability and higher unemployment rates. The American Rescue Plan can deliver on getting communities of color and low-income communities the resources and relief they have been waiting for, and we urge shift passage.”
Read our letter to congress here.
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About the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law – The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law (Lawyers’ Committee), a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, was formed in 1963 at the request of President John F. Kennedy to involve the private bar in providing legal services to address racial discrimination. The principal mission of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law is to secure, through the rule of law, equal justice for all, particularly in the areas of voting rights, criminal justice, fair housing and community development, economic justice, educational opportunities, and hate crimes. For more information, please visit https://lawyerscommittee.org.
