NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL ASSEMBLY

North Carolina Senate Minority Leader Dan Blue (D-Durham).

As coronavirus cripples our health care system and economy, and the deaths of too many unarmed men and women rekindle a fight for racial justice that is long overdue, Black Americans are bearing the heaviest burden imaginable. We are reckoning with tragedy borne of decades-long systemic oppression — a reality which our current President refuses to acknowledge. The protests we have witnessed nationwide present an important opportunity for us to come together and fight for a future where all Black Americans are truly treated equitably in the country they built.

In North Carolina, the average household income is nearly $30,000 less for Black families than white families. Black North Carolinians make up only 22% of the state’s population, jumping to 55% in prisons and jails. Nationwide, we imprison Black people far more often and for much longer than the general populace. The murder of Black men in Ferguson, Minneapolis, and Kenosha only further highlight the urgency and depth of the problems we face.

President Trump claims that “No President has done more for our Black community.” The truth is, he has failed Black Americans at every turn. He kicked off his career in real estate by discriminating against Black renters, and he jump-started his political career by referring to Mexicans as “rapists” and courting the support of white supremacists. He has used the last four years to attack health care legislation that disproportionately helped the Black community. He left Black families out of his tax cuts, and rolled back Obama-Biden policing reforms. When asked about the prevalence of systemic racism, Trump has stated “I don’t believe that.”

Equity for Black Americans should not be a subject of debate, but rather a call to action. Joe Biden has answered this call since his early days in the Senate when he fought for civil rights legislation that made voting and housing more accessible for Black communities. During the Obama-Biden Administration, he championed the Affordable Care Act, which provided health care to 3 million uninsured nonelderly Black people. Joe Biden also managed distribution of the 2009 Recovery Act, helping 1.4 million Black Americans stay out of poverty.
Vice President Biden understands that we need fundamental reform to level the playing field. As President, he would drastically increase funding for high-needs schools, build new affordable housing, make it easier for Black businesses to get loans, and focus on shrinking the disparity in health care quality for Black women. He has advocated for common-sense criminal justice reform including a ban on chokeholds, and an end to cash bail. These are not the tokenized improvements we have seen from our current President but rather the bold action of a leader who understands the depth of inequality that Black Americans face.

I believe that our country is ready to band together and build an equitable future for Americans regardless of their skin color. But to do that, we need a President with the courage to act. Trump can claim to be the savior of the Black community all he wants, but the truth is that he turns his back on us when the cameras are off. Joe Biden is a leader who listens to the Black community, and I know he will fight for the equitable future our community deserves.


Dan Blue is minority leader of the North Carolina State Senate representing the 14th District. He began his career in public service in 1981 in the North Carolina House of Representatives, served as speaker of the House, and has been an advocate for equity in education and criminal justice.

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