Nikema Williams: “Today my Congressional Black Caucus colleagues and I observe Black History Month and celebrate 50 years of Our Power…”

“Today my Congressional Black Caucus colleagues and I observe Black History Month and celebrate 50 years of Our Power, Our Message. For 50 years, the Congressional Black Caucus has uplifted the voices of Black people and other marginalized communities so that they can share in the promise of America for all. For the 117th Congress, the Congressional Black Caucus marks a new milestone with 58 members, the largest membership in CBC history. The next 50 years of Our Power, Our Message is strong. We are here in D.C. witnessing more Black history being made with the first Black woman, HBCU grad, our soror, and a member of our Congressional Black Caucus serving as Vice President of the United States. Indeed, our power and our message are strong. While we continue to make great strides, it is not lost on me that 2020 was a difficult year for Black people across this country. Collectively, we battled a pandemic that continues to infect and kill Black people at disproportionate rates. In my home State of Georgia, Black people are also experiencing some of the highest levels of unemployment in decades. By November 2020, Black Georgians had filed 71 percent more unemployment claims than White, Hispanic, Latinx, and Asian-American workers combined. Being Black in Georgia, we fight daily for what so many take for granted in this country, the right to vote, the right to the fair and equal treatment that George Floyd didn't get, the right to be, the right to exist.…”