By Tashi McQueen
AFRO Staff Writer
tmcqueen@afro.com
The National Black Caucus of State Legislators held their 2024 Annual Legislative Conference at the Capital Hilton in Washington, D.C. Though the event began on Dec. 2, public sessions began on Dec. 4. with a Youth Congress Day, several guest speakers and a panel session featuring state lawmakers.
“I have always been interested in law, but I never got to see the deeper side. Today showed me how deep it goes, the process they go through and how stressful it can be,” said James Johnson, a 17-year-old student from Southaven High School in Southaven, Miss. “We were talking about bullying in schools, and I can only imagine what they go through talking about gun laws and murders.”
James, who took on the role of Senate Leader at Youth Congress Day, and Essence Brown, who served as House Speaker, discussed top issues facing Black youth in America.
James said division is one of the top challenges facing Black youths today.
“We see a Black man doing good on social media– we automatically want to downplay them and call them ‘Whitewashed,’ or say they are not ‘seasoned’ enough,” said James. “Instead of supporting African Americans, we want to downplay them. If we continue to do that, we will never be able to succeed.”
James emphasized that Black people need to uplift and show love towards one another in order for Black America to flourish.
“There’s racism in the streets, but more of the division comes from us,” said James.
Essence, 16, said she sees bullying as a major issue for Black youth.
“I feel like all bullying should be illegal because there are kids that are in the hospital, taking their own lives, self-harming because of bullying,” said Essence, a student of Cesar Chavez Public Charter Schools for Public Policy in Northeast D.C. “We need more disciplinary action for anybody that’s being a bully.”
According to data from the U.S. Department of Education’s Civil Rights Data Collection Office for Civil Rights, nationally 37 percent of Black students reported being bullied in the 2020-2021 school year. Black students only made up 15 percent of students enrolled in Pre-K through grade 12 education in the 2020-2021 school year.
Essence said students should be expelled for bullying in school, as “a suspension may not be enough.”
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) attended Youth Congress Day, encouraging students to see themselves as the next generation of leaders.
“You guys are growing up in uncertain times,” said Bowser. “It is incumbent on [politicians] that we’re training up the next generation to certainly be confident, to certainly gain political skills, but also to think about what it takes to make tough decisions and to stand up for what’s right.”
“Start thinking about your place and what your role is going to be in this fight, not just for our democracy, but for your future,” said Bowser to the students.
Aside from Youth Congress Day initiatives, other panel sessions took place at the conference, including one titled, “Rebuilding the American Dream.” MSNBC’s Symone Sanders-Townsend moderated the session, which featured seven State House speakers and one Senate president.
“When we talk about rebuilding the American dream, I think we have to redefine what the American dream is, particularly for the Black community,” said State Rep. Chris Welch (D-Ill.-07), speaker of the House, during the session. “I don’t know anybody that owns a house with a white picket fence…no Black folks that I know.”
Welch said if legislators “provide the basics” of education, healthcare, an equal criminal justice system and economic opportunities, Black Americans will “have a better life in any state in this country.”
“We’re making sure Black folks have access to healthcare, because are a healthcare visit away from being bankrupt,” said Welch.
Sanders-Townsend raised questions about the outcome of the 2024 general election.
State Rep. Joanna McClinton (D-Pa.-191), a speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, spoke to the ways Democratic legislators can help improve communication with constituents concerning what they are accomplishing while in office.
“It is very easy for us to have town halls in the same neighborhoods where we know the block captains. We do need to get out of our comfort zones,” said McClinton. “I spend a lot of time as speaker of our state house going across the state, being in places where we have no chance ever of regaining territory. When I go, I’m not only talking to them about policy wins, I’m talking to them [about] how important it is to keep the Democrats in that county together.”
“The other thing we have to do is listen,” said McClinton. “When we go to the smallest NAACP chapter in our state, we have to also spend time listening…so we find what problems exist that we can create solutions for both in policy and in practice.”
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