If ever there was a time to advance racial justice, it is now. With demonstrations continuing around the country to mourn the brutal killing of George Floyd, it will be politically and morally imperative to have a well-defined strategy to respond to this moment. The collective national grief is about how Black potential has been repressed, squandered, and dismissed. Although, the White House can answer a moment where the need and demand for equity and justice are so deafening (Ray, 2020).
Many Americans take for granted the protections like social safety net programs. The authorities should identify and prioritize critical areas and people that can be intentionally trained on remedying the impacts of racism heading to eradicate the effect of racism. It is highly needed to formulate and pursue an intentional and coherent economic justice policy agenda that could be achieved earlier.
Black assets and intellectual property have been systematically underinvested and disenfranchised to reshape the narrative and incentive structure and leverage the Black community’s existing resources to drive sustainable and meaningful change. Therefore, genuine partnerships and corporate allies are needed to make investments.
In essence, Black people do not want a seat at the table. They want their own table, apportioned with equal weight and size, to be acknowledged, seen, and heard across all spectrums of society. Social activists have encapsulated the enduring plight of Black individuals as double consciousness, a longing to be both Black and American without having the doors of opportunity closed roughly in one’s face. Yet, Blacks are still clamoring for that promise of equal justice and opportunity to be recognized as fully equal citizens in the United States.
The commissions should develop recommendations for specific policy actions to address racial injustice. It is required to prioritize jobs and sources of income for communities of color, a risk-based framework for reforming policing tactics, investment in Black neighborhoods, and communal well-being. Ultimately eliminating crisis in healthcare and financial services and incentivizing education metrics that measure the extent to which Black students perceive themselves to be valued in the school environment.
Additionally, the commission’s recommendations should be considered to direct agencies to utilize their authorities to support racial justice (Busette, 2020). In particular, it is a dire need to resuscitate the powers of the justice department to review the conduct of police departments across the state. However, it is tough to eradicate racial disparities and racism. Thus, we need a proactive system that can own the responsibility of making one America, where we are each valued and belong.
References
Busette, C. (2020). Mayors and governors: This is how you tackle racism. Brookings. https://www.brookings.edu/blog/how-we-rise/2020/06/02/mayor-and-governors-this-is-how-you-tackle-racism/
Ray, R. (2020). Bad apples come from rotten trees in policing. Brookings. https://www.brookings.edu/blog/how-we-rise/2020/05/30/bad-apples-come-from-rotten-trees-in-policing/