Roadmap 2022: A Black, Progressive Policy Brief

A Black, progressive roadmap to the 2022 Midterm Elections

Black communities across the nation continue to be failed by policies that do not consider us – access to COVID-19 relief, more obstacles for us to vote, and too few policies we need to improve our lives, like the Child Tax Credit and student loan debt forgiveness.

The question remains: What will it take to make Black communities powerful in public policy? This roadmap is our response.

Our communities deserve policies that address the issues that shape our lives. The Black to the Future Action Fund (B2F) created this roadmap to identify concrete policy recommendations that address the needs of our communities.

Our policy recommendations are based on three core beliefs:

1. Race matters: Policies that ignore race will not resolve the problems that Black communities are facing.

2. Government must be accountable: The government, and the people who operate it, must be held accountable for laws, policies, and practices that harm our communities. Policymakers must take action to bridge racial gaps in health, wealth, and other areas. They must eliminate laws, policies, and practices that harm Black people and profit from racial injustice in both the public and private sectors.

3. The Black agenda is a progressive agenda: We believe progress for Black communities requires progressive thinking. Old ideas, playing it safe, and incremental success will not secure our futures. We need bold, innovative ideas that aggressively drive us forward.

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    COVID Relief & Support

    Two years into the pandemic, Black communities are more likely to get sick or die from COVID than white communities. However, policymakers across the country have allowed extensions and expansions of assistance programs to end, which leaves our communities incredibly vulnerable.

    Voting Rights

    We have seen persistent, dangerous attacks on our voting rights. In 2020, many states expanded access to the ballot due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and this increase resulted in significant backlash.

    Combating White Supremacy

    Despite significant social action for change, the persistent threat of violence from white nationalist extremism has grown. Our government must secure protections that address racial terror and prevent this violence from undermining our democracy.