Black to the Future Action Fund Releases Black Economic Agenda to Inform Lawmakers and Political Candidates Nationwide

ATLANTA, Aug. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Black to the Future Action Fund today announced the Black Economic Agenda, a policy roadmap to inform elected officials and political candidates nationwide of Black communities' key economic priorities – from wages and taxes to housing and healthcare. The Black Economic Agenda is designed from the findings of the historic Black Census Project, the largest survey of Black people in U.S. history.

"The Black Economic Agenda was created for us, by us, to enact a future of economic justice for Black communities all across America," said Kristin Powell, Principal of Black to the Future Action Fund and Black Futures Lab. "Black voters are the undeniable bedrock of our nation's democracy, but lawmakers consistently fall short of fully delivering for our communities. When Black Census participants were asked about the most important problems facing Black communities, economic issues rose to the top. The Black Economic Agenda can and must be used by policymakers and candidates to deliver real results for us."

For policymakers and candidates, the agenda identifies policy holes and provides suggested fixes, including long-term policy solutions to improve Black lives. For advocates, the agenda includes helpful data to build policy campaigns and push policymakers to be more accountable to Black people. The Black Economic Agenda urges elected officials and governments to build Black economic power in the following areas:

• Livable wages and worker and workplace protections, including raising the minimum wage to at least $17 per hour, with ongoing annual increases that account for the rising cost of living.
• Policies that impact not only how Black people live, but also their quality of life, such as housing, health care and childcare. One recommendation is widening homeownership options by developing programs to preserve and expand housing affordability and availability.
• Changing how states raise tax dollars and invest them, including making sure corporations and highest earners pay their fair share.

"Black people are worried about the rising costs of living and low wages that are not enough to sustain us or our families," said Alicia Garza, Founder and Former Principal of Black Futures Lab and Black to the Future Action Fund. "The Black Economic Agenda is a concrete roadmap that can lead to economic resilience for millions of Black families and generations to come. But it only works and becomes alive if we use it — as elected officials, candidates, advocates and voters."

Last month, Black to the Future Action Fund's c3 arm, Black Futures Lab, published the full findings from the 2023 Black Census, a survey of more than 200,000 Black people across all 50 states. Of the 17 most important problems polled by the Black Census, six were economic issues, four of which ranked in the top tier of concerns. These issues include low wages, schools that fail to prepare Black children, lack of affordable housing, and lack of affordable health care. Black Census respondents strongly support policies that would make Black people more economically secure, including guaranteeing higher wages and increasing affordable housing, health care, childcare, and college education.

The Black Economic Agenda translates these findings into a policy platform, useful for several audiences, including policymakers, candidates, advocates and the public. Black to the Future Action Fund will use the agenda to activate and engage over 250,000 Black voters across three key states ahead of November. A condensed version of the agenda will be shared with as many Black people as possible, including at doors, on the streets and virtually.

Speakers at the event to release the Black Economic Agenda on Thursday, August 8 in Atlanta, included Dawn Richards (Hip Hop Caucus artist relations director), Kendrick Sampson (actor and activist), Trae Croeckett (singer/songwriter, MC and poet) and Conscious Lee (educator, facilitator and digital storyteller).

About Black to the Future Action Fund
The Black to the Future Action Fund works to make Black communities powerful in politics, so that we can be powerful in the entirety of our lives. We work to enact policies that improve the lives of Black communities, and to elect Black and pro-Black legislators with progressive values who move progressive policies. Together we work to ensure that Black people have what all people deserve —dignity, safety, and power. https://black2thefuture.org

SOURCE Black to the Future Action Fund