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- Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA) is pushing a bill that would give migrant children basic care and necessities.
- Senator Mazie Hirono (D-HI) and Congresswoman Doris Matsui (D-CA) move to address gender discrimination in education.
- Planned Parenthood ousts its president and CEO.
- Black homeownership is on the decline.
- Girls Who Code ventured to Capitol Hill to ensure the underrepresented have a path in tech. Check it out in Blogs!
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Journalist Lisa Ling with her father last month in NYC.
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SiriusXM hosts Jess McIntosh and Zerlina Maxwell after interviewing singer Mya (center) last week.
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Lucille Roybal-Allard Pushes Bill to Give Migrant Children Basic Care and Necessities
After the long and traumatic journey that migrant children endure, Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA) wants to expand protections for them while they are in the custody of Customs and Border Protection (CBP). She introduced the Child Trafficking Victims Protection and Welfare Act, which would require CBP to consult with experts in child welfare, development, and health to develop guidelines for the treatment of children in its custody. Roybal-Allard said her bill “will help keep families together, care for trafficking victims, and treat all children in custody with compassion, dignity, and respect.” The bill would require all children in CBP custody to be provided with basic necessities, including a safe, sanitary, and climate-appropriate living environment, adequate nutrition, potable water, educational materials, and recreational activities. The measure also establishes a program that ensures the safe repatriation and reintegration of children who return to their country of nationality or last habitual residence, to help ensure these children are not placed back into the hands of traffickers. More here.
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Alma Adams Intros Bill to Beef Up Background Checks on Gun Owners
Congresswomen Alma Adams (D-NC) introduced the Law Enforcement Needs to Know Act this month. The bill would strengthen background check systems to help state and local law enforcement keep firearms out of the hands of criminals. It would also establish a grant program for states and Native American Tribes to enroll individuals who buy firearms in the FBI Rap Back program. The Rap Back program notifies police when a gun owner from their state is arrested anywhere in the country. It also provides real-time, ongoing updates about any criminal activity reported to the FBI after a background check has been completed. “Keeping guns away from criminals is a no-brainer, but we have to give law enforcement the tools they need to play an effective role in the licensing system,” said Adams. “If we’re serious about stopping the epidemic of gun violence in this country, we need strong, effective background checks that monitor ongoing criminal activity and alert police when someone is no longer eligible to own a gun.” More here.
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Latino Victory co-founder Eva Longoria Bastón with her daughter Santi in Spain over the weekend.
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ABC's Candi Carter and Deborah Roberts with her son at their neighborhood country club in NJ on Monday.
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AOC, A Chief, and a Beef
The chief of staff to Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) is causing quite a ruckus on Capitol Hill. Saikat Chakrabarti responded to a tweet and said that votes from Congresswoman Sharice Davids (D-KS) are enabling a racist system because she backed a Senate border-aid bill. Chakrabarti says he is friends with Davids, encouraged her to run for Congress, and is glad she did. But his tweet prompted the House Dem leaderships to reply, “Who is this guy and why is he explicitly singling out a Native American woman of color? ... She is a phenomenal new member who flipped a red seat blue. Keep Her Name Out Of Your Mouth.” This all comes at a time that some members of the Congressional Black Caucus are expressing concern that Justice Democrats -- the group behind Ocasio-Cortez’s primary victory in 2016 -- are targeting sitting African American members of Congress. Justice Democrats is backing activist Cory Bush as she once again mounts a primary challenge to Congressman Lacy Clay (D-MO). There had also been rumors that the group was also looking for challengers to Democratic Caucus Chairman Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY). CBC leadership is reportedly concerned that Justice Democrats may target other Black lawmakers in the coming weeks and months, including Representatives Yvette Clarke (D-NY), Joyce Beatty (D-OH), Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO), and Anthony Brown (D-MD), according to The Hill. Alexandra Rojas, the executive director of Justice Democrats, defended their strategy, saying, “seventy percent of congressional districts in America have no competitive general election; primaries are often the only places where voters can have a real say.” She pointed out that former President Barack Obama first ran for Congress in a primary challenge to CBC member Congressman Bobby Rush (D-IL). The group is also backing Jessica Cisneros, who is challenging Hispanic Caucus member Congressman Henry Cuellar (D-TX) -- Cisneros’s former boss. More here.
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Mazie Hirono and Doris Matsui Move to Address Gender Discrimination in Education
Despite great progress as a result of Title IX, the federal law that prohibits sex-based discrimination in federally supported education programs and activities, women and girls still face challenges to fully and equally access education. The American Association of University Women found that 56% of girls in grades 7-12 face sexual harassment. Girls have 1.15 million fewer opportunities to play sports in high school than boys, and when it comes to girls of color have even fewer chances. Disparities like this are manifesting themselves later in life -- women’s advancement in high-demand, high-wage fields of study, including computer science and engineering, has stagnated or even declined in recent years. To help address discrimination in education, Congresswoman Doris Matsui (D-CA) and Senator Mazie Hirono (D-HI) have reintroduced bicameral legislation to provide more resources, training, and technical assistance to address discrimination in education throughout the U.S. The Patsy T. Mink and Louise M. Slaughter Gender Equity in Education Act (GEEA) would provide these resources through Title IX. The legislation would establish a new Office of Gender Equity at the Department of Education to coordinate Title IX activities. It also would provide competitive grants for K-12 schools, colleges and universities, states, school districts, and related organizations to improve Title IX compliance and provide Title IX coordinators with annual trainings. “It is our duty to honor and support the legacy of Title IX and ensure that every child, regardless of gender, has the same opportunity to succeed,” said Matsui. Hirono highlighted that the bill’s namesakes -- Patsy Mink and Louise Slaughter -- were fierce advocates for strengthening educational opportunities for all Americans, regardless of their gender. “This legislation builds on their important legacy and provides more resources needed to address bias and discrimination in schools, further advancing Title IX’s important mandate,” Hirono added. They were joined in the bill’s introduction by Congressman Joe Morelle (D-NY). More here.
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Lin-Manuel Miranda with a friend on the set of the new film, In the Heights, in NYC last month.
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CNN's Fareed Zakaria greeting a fan in NYC last week.
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Kamala Harris Intros Prescription Drug Plan
Presidential candidate Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA) on Tuesday released her plan to reduce prescription drug costs and rein in pharmaceutical companies. Right now, prescription drug costs average $1,200 annually for American families. As president, Harris said she would have the Department of Health and Human Services set a fair price for any prescription drug whose price increases annually by more than the cost of inflation. Her plan would also tax any pharmaceutical company profits made from selling a drug above the fair price at a rate of 100%, with the funds directly rebated to consumers. Harris said she would end the pharmaceutical company tax loophole for direct-to-consumer advertising expenses, which taxpayers currently subsidize at an estimated cost of $6 billion a year, and use those proceeds to boost NIH funding for new treatments. She would also be willing to use executive power to investigate all major prescription drugs whose pharmaceutical companies are price-gouging patients, import lower-cost alternatives from abroad, prioritize investigating predatory pharmaceutical companies at the Justice Department, and license patents for high-priced drugs for the most egregious offenders. “This plan puts people over profit by forcing these companies to reduce prices for consumers and holding them accountable when they gouge Americans,” said Harris. “As Attorney General, I secured more than $200 million from pharmaceutical companies for California consumers, and as President, this will be a top priority in my first 100 days.” Read the full plan here.
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April Ryan to Moderate NAACP Presidential Forum
American Urban Radio White House Correspondent and CNN political commentator April Ryan will moderate the NAACP’s Presidential Candidates Forum this month in Detroit. Confirmed candidates include Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ), Kamala Harris (D-CA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA); Joe Biden; Julián Castro; Beto O’Rourke; and Bill Weld. The candidates will not appear on stage together due to DNC rules. Ryan will host one on one interviews with each of the candidates. The forums are slated to take place on July 24th. The following week, CNN will host the second round of debates in Detroit. More here.
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Comedian Dave Chappelle (right) with a friend after one of his shows in NYC.
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The Washington Post's Michelle Ye Hee Lee in DC over the weekend.
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Conservative Trump Supporter Launches Congressional Campaign in California’s Orange County
Republican Amy Phan West is running for Congress in Orange County, CA. She is challenging Congressman Alan Lowenthal (D) and describes herself as an “unabashedly pro-life” candidate. She said she’s committed to ending California’s “shocking SeXXX Ed curriculum” (officially known as CA Healthy Youth Act). “Schools must stop sexualizing our children. This means teachers must be released from unions and bureaucrats and be empowered to teach our youth the fundamentals that equip them to become productive members of society,” said West, a mother of three young sons. West also appears to be a supporter of Trump’s anti-immigration policies. She and her family fled Vietnam after the war. She said her family waited several long years in Thailand and Philippine refugee camps until they were granted asylum. She also said she’s “fervently committed to keeping socialism away from America’s shores.” West is a car rental employee and former member of Orange County Parks Commission. Her campaign did not get back to us with any additional biographical information. California’s 47th Congressional District is 34.1% White, 7.3% Black, 21.4% AAPI, and 34.1% Hispanic. The state primary is March 3rd of next year. More here.
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NJ Dem Mounts Primary Challenge
Democrat Javahn Walker is running for Congress in New Jersey’s 6th Congressional District. The 27-year-old progressive wants to focus on student loan debt, Medicare for All, and the Green New Deal. “Due to Trump's presidential wing, as well as what’s going on in Washington and how dysfunctional it is, I decided that I want to make a difference within the 6th Congressional District, and I know I can make that difference,” Walker said. He will be challenging Congressman Frank Pallone (D-NJ) in the primary. “With the career politicians that praise their years of experience but lack the legislation to justify their long tenure, the people cannot continue hearing empty promises,” Walker said. “They want a change and I have the record of providing that change to voters.” Walker is currently an investments compliance analyst at MetLife. The 2015 Rutgers University grad is a second-time candidate and a native of Elizabeth, NJ. New Jersey’s primary is June 2nd, 2020. More here.
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CNN's Van Jones (right) taping a radio segment in San Francisco last week.
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Congresswoman Sharice Davids (D-KS) (right) posing with a constituent in Wichita last week.
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Leana Wen Ousted by Planned Parenthood Board
Planned Parenthood voted Monday night to remove Dr. Leana Wen as the president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) and as the president of the Planned Parenthood Action Fund (PPAF) after just eight months. Reports indicate that Wen’s work to shift focus to the organization’s mission on non-abortion care -- and not politics -- did not jive with the board’s priorities. Wen tweeted that the board ended her “employment at a secret meeting” even though they had been negotiating in good faith. In a statement issued later on, Wen said she was “leaving because the new Board Chairs and I have philosophical differences over the direction and future of Planned Parenthood.” Alexis McGill Johnson has been named acting president and CEO of PPFA and acting president of PPAF, effective immediately. See Wen’s statement here.
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Serena Williams Invests in Company Working to End Black Maternal Mortality
Serena Williams has invested in a Black-owned mental health care startup, Mahmee. The tennis champion made the investment through her firm, Serena Ventures. She was joined by billionaire Mark Cuban. The company closed a $3 million round. “I am incredibly excited to invest and partner with Mahmee, a company that personifies my firm’s investment philosophy,” Williams said. “Given the bleak data surrounding maternal death and injury rates, I believe that it is absolutely critical right now to invest in solutions that help protect the lives of moms and babies." Mahmee builds an online dashboard to connect mothers and infants with health care professionals, with technology that “proactively engages, checks on and monitors patients through 'maternity coaches' and escalates concerns to doctors so that mom and baby's care plan stays up to date and critical red flags aren't missed,” according to the press release. The service is sold through hospitals and health systems. Black mothers are three to four times more likely to die during childbirth than white ones, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “In the maternity healthcare process, on the surface, there are generally three or four people involved: the mother, the baby, and each of their physicians. What we don’t see are the many other people helping them: nurses, lactation consultants, midwives, nutritionists, therapists, doulas, home health aides, social workers, and more,” said Melissa Hanna, CEO and co-founder of Mahmee. More here.
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Navajo Nation Second Lady Dottie Lizer, Native American activist Samantha Eldridge, and Navajo Nation Vice President Myron Lizer in Utah over the weekend.
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Penrose Care's Robert Stephenson-Padron with labor icon Ai-jen Poo at the London School of Economics last month.
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Black Homeownership Declines
While the Hispanic homeownership rate is on the rise, Black homeownership rates have fallen 8.6% since its peak in 2004, the WSJ reports. This is the lowest level on record in the first quarter of this year, according to census data. This marks the first time in more than two decades that Hispanics and Blacks, the two largest racial or ethnic minorities in America, are no longer following the same path when it comes to owning homes. Black communities have struggled to recover financially since the housing crisis in 2008, and Black workers have received smaller pay increases over the last 10 years compared with other communities of color. “Half of all African Americans to the market are first-time buyers,” Jessica Lautz, director of demographics and behavioral insights at the National Association of Realtors, told The Washington Post in February. “So grappling with student debt and affordability issues generates a much greater barrier to homeownership.” Disparities are also reflected in persisting residential segregation and a racially segmented housing market. Both of these factors have significant implications for African Americans’ economic mobility. Segregation, disparate access to credit and homeownership, and the consistent devaluation of homes in Black neighborhoods to constrict the ability of African Americans to build equity and accumulate wealth through homeownership. More here.
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EEOC Begins Collecting Pay Data by Race, Ethnicity, and Gender
Despite attempts by the Trump administration to gut an Obama-era rule intended to combat workplace inequity, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) on Monday it will begin collecting pay data broken down by race, ethnicity, and gender from an estimated 60,000 employers. The EEOC announced a new online portal to collect the data, which must be submitted by companies with 100 or more employees. The data will cover the years 2017 and 2018, and it must be submitted by September 30th. Regular Beat readers will recall that a federal district judge in April gave the administration until September 30th to start collecting the pay data, saying the federal government illegally attempted to overturn the rule. The judge also chastised the admin for attempting to delay the case based on a “misconception,” which she called “troubling” especially given that the EEOC “lawyers believe the EEOC is not credible.” The judge also criticized the government for not notifying employers they would have to start reporting the data and for not filing a notice in the Federal Register. More here.
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| FOMO
Today, 6P: The Raben Group hosts the Honorable Martha Bárcena Coqui, Ambassador of México to the United States, for "The U.S. and México Today," a discussion of key issues currently shaping U.S.-México relations. Raben's Estuardo Rodríguez will moderate the conversation. 1341 G Street, N.W., DC. Click here for more information.
Thursday, July 18th, 12P: ALLvanza and the National Hispanic Foundation for the Arts host a panel discussion with industry thought leaders focused on privacy and to identify actionable solutions to current challenges, as well as opportunities to educate both consumers and policymakers, and find ways to make a positive impact on the Latinx and other underserved communities. 25 Massachusetts Ave. N.W., Suite 100, DC. Click here for more information.
Saturday, July 20th - Wednesday, July 24th: The 110th NAACP Annual Convention, convening policymakers, activists, and organizers to strategize about the work NAACP has to do to ensure that the integrity of our democracy and shape the wellbeing of our communities. Cobo Center, 1 Washington Blvd, Detroit, MI. Click here for more information.
Wednesday, July 24th - Saturday, July 27th: The National Urban League hosts its 2019 Annual Conference, Getting 2 Equal: United Not Divided. NUL will host the nation's leading political, business, and community leaders to convene, share ideas, and discover solutions to issues that have historically plagued underserved urban communities across the country. Indianapolis, IN. Click here for more information.
Thursday, July 25th, 6P: Democratic Caucus Chairman Hakeem Jeffries hosts his 7th annual Hip Hop On The Hill event. Opera Ultra Lounge, 1400 Eye Street N.W., DC. Click here for more information.
Thursday, July 25th: APAICS hosts the 2019 Women’s Collective Summit, bringing powerful AAPI women together to share, to inspire, and to take bold action towards creating a more representative democracy. Pavilion, Ronald Reagan Building, 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., DC. Click here for more information.
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