Political Quotes

“On this, the funeral day of the great John Lewis, I ask my colleagues to support my amendment to fund a critical source of knowledge for my State, ``The State of Black Michigan'' report. This amendment comes directly from my meetings with African-American leaders in my district in the wake of the killing of George Floyd. For four decades, researchers at Michigan State University compiled ``The State of Black Michigan'' report. This critical research project was established in the wake of civil unrest in the 1960s, and until 2007, it did what all good research does: it used hard data and facts, regardless of politics, to inform and hold elected leaders accountable for the persistent inequality in housing, healthcare, education, economic opportunity, and more. The work to produce ``The State of Black Michigan'' was spearheaded by Dr. Joe Darden at Michigan State. It was not easy or cheap, and since 2007, without a source of dedicated funding, we have been without the knowledge of this report. Madam Speaker, now, as the country once again confronts systemic racism and inequality, we must acknowledge and learn from the underlying facts to build effective policies. My amendment would provide a source of funding for efforts such as ``The State of Black Michigan'' so that we can confront systemic inequalities and actually do something about these systemic problems.”