Congressional leaders reintroduce bipartisan Protect Black Women and Girls Act

A bipartisan group of lawmakers has reintroduced a bill that would establish a task force to examine the conditions and experiences of Black women and girls in America. 

Democratic Reps. Robin Kelly (Ill.), Yvette Clarke (N.Y.) and Bonnie Watson Coleman (N.J.) — co-chairs of the Caucus on Black Women and Girls — joined Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) in reintroducing the Protect Black Women and Girls Act on Wednesday, more than two years after it was first introduced. 

“Simply acknowledging our country’s history of targeted discrimination, harassment and violence against Black women and girls will not correct years of systemic racism and sexism,” Kelly said in a statement. 

“We must leverage the full weight of the federal government to seek justice for Black women and girls who deserve an equal opportunity for a full, happy, healthy life.”

Racial disparities in health care, salary and education disproportionately affect Black women and girls. 

Black women die from pregnancy-related complications at three times the rate of white women, and a study by the Black Women’s Blueprint found 60 percent of Black girls experience sexual assault before they are 18.

Meanwhile, Black girls are four times more likely to be arrested at school and five times more likely to be transferred to another school for disciplinary reasons than their white counterparts, according to data from the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights.

When it comes to salary, Black women are paid 67 cents for every dollar a white man makes, according to the National Women’s Law Center. 

Fitzpatrick said these disparities have persisted for “far too long,” while Watson Coleman said the bill will help identify and address the root causes of these challenges facing Black women and girls. 

The bill would require the task force to identify policies and programs at the federal, state and local levels designed to improve outcomes for Black women and girls and make recommendations for improvement. 

The task force would also submit recommendations to Congress, the president and each state government on policies, practices, programs and incentives that should be adopted to improve their outcomes.

Lastly, the bill would direct the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights to conduct a study and collect data on the effects of economic, health, criminal justice and social service factors on Black women and girls.

“Throughout our nation’s history, Black women have remained marginalized, overlooked, and underserved in communities across the country,” said Clarke. “Every American — including Black women — deserves the chance to create their own American Dream.”