In celebration of Black History Month, we’re highlighting the ways that President Biden and Vice President Harris have kept their promise to Black communities by continuing to deliver for them — growing the economy, creating good-paying jobs, investing in communities, and fighting for working families. 

DNC National Press Secretary Sarafina Chitika released the following statement: 

“President Biden and Vice President Harris have made historic progress in advancing equal justice and keeping our communities safe: investing in public safety, restricting the use of no-knock warrants and chokeholds, and passing bipartisan legislation to address the gun violence epidemic for the first time in a generation. Meanwhile, Donald Trump has been showing his true colors to Black communities for years — from calling for the return of ‘stop and frisk’ and encouraging violence toward those fighting for racial justice to offensively claiming that Black voters will support him because of his criminal indictments. The contrast couldn’t be clearer: President Biden and Vice President Harris are the only candidates on the ballot this November who are investing in stronger, safer communities for Black Americans.” 

President Biden and Vice President Harris are addressing the epidemic of gun violence in Black communities, including signing into law the most significant gun violence reduction legislation enacted in nearly 30 years and launching the first-ever Office of Gun Violence Prevention. President Biden has taken more executive action on gun violence than any other president in history.

Politico: “The initiative outlines steps states should take to combat gun violence, and the White House will work with officials to provide necessary resources for implementation.”

“The administration is encouraging state officials to establish their own state-level gun violence prevention offices; to invest in gun violence prevention, such as community violence intervention programs; to bolster support for survivors and victims affected by gun violence; to push for safe storage and reporting of lost and stole firearms; and to enact legislation to strengthen background checks and ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines.”

The Biden-Harris administration is investing $6.5 billion in American Rescue Act funding to support local and state leaders in shoring up their budgets and investing in public safety.

Wall Street Journal: “Mr. Biden emphasized that state and local officials in areas experiencing surges in gun violence can use $350 billion in Covid-19 relief funding to hire more law-enforcement personnel, even if it raises the total number beyond its pre-pandemic level.” 

White House Fact Sheet: 

• “Over $2 billion to prevent crime and ease the burden on police, including community violence interventions, crisis responders, and substance use disorder and mental health services.”

• “$1.2 billion Medicaid Mobile Crisis Intervention Services – police departments are too often overburdened due to lack of crisis response support for people experiencing behavioral health crises. That’s why the American Rescue Plan included $1.2 billion to fund mobile crisis intervention units staffed with mental health professionals and trained peers.” 

• “$1 billion in bonuses for front-line public safety workers to help recruit and retain these public servants.”

• “$1 billion Family Violence Prevention and Services Program to reduce domestic violence with immediate crisis intervention, health supports, and safety.” 

• “Over $350 million in job training and other assistance to help formerly incarcerated individuals successfully reenter society and provide at-risk teens and young adults with meaningful job opportunities in the summer and during the year.”

President Biden signed a historic executive order to enhance public trust in law enforcement, which requires federal law enforcement officers to wear body cameras and restricts the use of chokeholds, no-knock warrants, and other important provisions.

CBS News: “President Biden Signs Executive Order On Federal Policing 2 Years After George Floyd’s Killing” 

“The directive bans the use of chokeholds, restricts no knock warrants, requires tracking of use of force data, and mandates anti-bias training and body-worn camera, among other provisions.” 

“The executive order also instructs establishment of a national database tracking federal officer misconduct that allows local and state agencies to enter their records, too, and directs the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to create best practices to promote wellness of officers.”

President Biden is calling on Congress to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act to advance accountability, transparency, and public trust in law enforcement.

CBS News: “On George Floyd’s 50th birthday, Joe Biden calls for Congress to pass ‘meaningful’ police reform” 

White House Fact Sheet: “Re-issuing the Call for Congress to Pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act. The President will again call for Congress to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act to advance accountability, transparency, and public trust in law enforcement. Real change at the state and local level requires Congressional action.” 

In contrast, Donald Trump urged Congress to block the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act. 

MSNBC: “Republicans were never going to support the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act”

 “Then-Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., called Scott’s bill an ‘irrevocably flawed’ approach to police reform. At the same time, then-President Donald Trump accused Democrats of wanting to ‘take away a lot of the strength from our police and from law enforcement generally,’ including police ‘immunity.’”

Trump has made it clear that he has no desire to combat racial injustice, and has repeatedly doubled down on supporting police brutality. 

Washington Post: “U.S. police chiefs blast Trump for endorsing ‘police brutality’”

“Police leaders across the country moved quickly to distance themselves from — or to outright condemn — President Trump’s statements about ‘roughing up’ people who’ve been arrested.”

NBC News: “Donald Trump’s attorney general said Tuesday the Justice Department will limit its use of a tactic employed aggressively under President Obama — suing police departments for violating the civil rights of minorities.”

Politico: “Trump: Black Lives Matter is a ‘symbol of hate’”

“President Donald Trump on Wednesday called New York City’s decision to paint ‘Black Lives Matter’ on Fifth Avenue a ‘symbol of hate,’ rebuking his home town’s embrace of a rallying cry that has stirred nationwide protests against racism.”

Trump wants to force local police departments to reimplement harmful, racially-charged policies, such as “stop and frisk,” to access federal funding. 

Press Release, Donald J. Trump for President: “Second, to qualify for this new funding and all other Justice Department grants, I will insist that local jurisdictions return to proven common sense policing measures, such as stop and frisk”

NBC News: “Trump calls Bloomberg a ‘total racist’ over stop and frisk, which the president has supported”

In case you forgot, Trump has a long history as the poster boy for modern racism, and he has repeatedly embraced white supremacists. 

New York Times: “Trump Will Not Apologize for Calling for Death Penalty Over Central Park Five” 

“President Trump said on Tuesday that he would not apologize for his harsh comments in 1989 about the Central Park Five, the five black and Latino men who as teenagers were wrongly convicted of the brutal rape of a jogger in New York City.” 

Forbes: “Trump Called BLM Protesters ‘Thugs’ But Capitol-Storming Supporters ‘Very Special’”

“Earlier this year, Trump appeared to threaten violence against protesters (whom Trump, again, called ‘THUGS’) in Minneapolis following the death of Geroge Floyd, tweeting, ‘when the looting starts, the shooting starts’ and denouncing the destruction of property as ‘domestic acts of terror.’”

CBS News: “Mr. Trump’s critics have accused him of overtly appealing to white supremacists through his continued defense of the Confederate flag and statues of Confederate officials. Mr. Trump said in Tuesday’s interview that he believed the debate over the flag is a freedom of speech issue.”

CNN: “Trump’s defense of the ‘very fine people’ at Charlottesville white nationalist march has David Duke gushing”

New York Times: “‘No Vacancies’ for Blacks: How Donald Trump Got His Start, and Was First Accused of Bias” 
Politico: “Trump, according to O’Donnell, went on to say, ‘Laziness is a trait in blacks. It really is, I believe that.’”