Congressional Black Caucus Endorses Joe Biden for President

Congressional Black Caucus PAC Chairman, Rep. Gregory Meeks

By Ellen Chamberlain

April 22, 2020

America’s Black politicians want President Trump out of office, calling Biden a “healer not divider.”

DETROIT, MI — The Congressional Black Caucus PAC unanimously endorsed Joe Biden’s candidacy for president.

The Tuesday announcement came on the heels of several nods of support from key leaders and members in the caucus. Representative John Lewis of Georgia and Rep. Karen Bass of California made personal endorsements two weeks ago.

CBC PAC Chairman Rep. Gregory Meeks is calling new leadership from the White House.

“We need someone that is a healer and not a divider, and that’s Joe Biden,” Meeks said.

The PAC is the caucus’s separate campaign arm. The caucus works to increase the number of African Americans in Congress, champions non-Black politicians who work toward Black interests and it encourages Black participation in the political process.

Black voters have been Biden’s most loyal supporters, turning out to help him win primaries in states like South Carolina and Michigan before the coronavirus pandemic interrupted the presidential race.

Chairman Meeks’ advice on winning this year’s election is simple: listen to Black women.

“Black women over-performed in 2016, and had we listened to them, we might not have the person that’s there now,” Meeks said.

For the moment, Black women are staying home. Many states with large Black populations like Georgia have postponed their primaries until social distancing guidelines are relaxed; guidelines that could be saving many Black lives from being added to the growing list of those dying from the coronavirus.

An AP analysis found that nearly one-third of those who have died are Black, despite African Americans only making up 14% of the total population. In Michigan, closer to half of deaths related to the virus are Black, despite still only representing 14% of the state’s population.

Earlier this month, Biden joined a growing call among lawmakers for the release of comprehensive racial data on the coronavirus pandemic, which he said has put a spotlight on inequity and the impact of “structural racism.”

“There’s no question that Joe Biden is badly needed by this country,” CBC PAC Chairman Meeks of New York told the Associated Press. “His leadership, his experience, his understanding on how to get things done and his ability to work and pull people together is needed now more than ever.”

The Associated Press contributed to this story.