Tuesday, the NAACP met with President-Elect Joe Biden and Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris about the ongoing racial justice crisis that has plagued our nation. In the face of an unprecedented pandemic, an escalation of police violence against Black people, and a current presidency rooted in white supremacy and bigotry, the NAACP calls on the incoming Biden administration to create a new position–National Advisor to the President on Racial Justice, Equity and Advancement.
“The structural inequality that is rooted deep within our society must be addressed, and after four years of regression on social, civil, and political matters that profoundly impact the American people, specifically, Black people, we must prioritize the transformation of our nation into a more just, equal society in which all Americans can succeed and thrive,” said Derrick Johnson, president and CEO, NAACP. “The creation of National Advisor to the President on Racial Justice, Equity and Advancement is a bold action that has the potential to yield significant results on behalf of millions of Americans.”
The National Advisor on Racial Justice, Equity, and Advancement would be charged with centralizing bold, visionary thinking and strategy on racial justice within the White House and fostering holistic measures throughout government to tackle the pervasive problem of systemic racism. The Advisor would report directly to President Biden with an office fully resourced and staffed to accomplish its mission.
The strong and early commitment by the Biden administration to elevating racial justice as a top priority has sent a powerful message about its importance and centrality within this administration. As the nation calls for an end to structural disparities, the federal government has a duty to examine itself to determine how it still perpetuates and fosters institutional racism.
We can no longer afford to address systemic inequity through the exclusive province of the civil rights offices of each agency. Our structural inequality goes much deeper than that, and now is the time for bold solutions. The National Advisor on Racial Justice, Equity and Advancement will lead this charge.
