Congressional Black Caucus
The Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) is a collective of Black American members of the U.S. Congress, established in 1970 by thirteen founding members of the House of Representatives. Its primary mission is to promote the public welfare through legislation addressing the needs of marginalized communities, particularly focusing on issues affecting Black Americans. The CBC emerged at a time when representation of Black Americans in Congress was minimal, and its founders believed in the power of collaboration to amplify their voices and concerns.
Over the years, the caucus has influenced a range of policies, advocating for legislation related to employment, healthcare, education reform, and social justice. It gained national attention following a meeting with President Nixon in 1971, where members presented a series of policy proposals. The group has also taken a stance on international issues, notably advocating against apartheid in South Africa.
In addition to legislative efforts, the CBC established the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation in 1976 to support research, education, and community empowerment initiatives. The foundation has developed various programs, including scholarships and a virtual library, to further its mission. Notably, the CBC has been a platform for significant political milestones, including the election of Barack Obama as the first member to become President and Kamala Harris as Vice President.
On this Page
Congressional Black Caucus
The Congressional Black Caucus, a group comprising Black American members of the ninety-second US Congress, was established in 1970 by thirteen members of the House of Representatives who joined together “to promote the public welfare through legislation designed to meet the needs of millions of neglected citizens.” Before that year, the House had never had so many Black Americans among its 435 members, yet thirteen was still a small minority. The founders of the Congressional Black Caucus hoped they could gain more visibility and power working together than they could acting alone.
In 1971, the Congressional Black Caucus was granted a meeting with President Richard M. Nixon, during which its members presented a document describing sixty actions the government should take on domestic and international issues. The president promised to promote desegregation by seeing that civil rights laws were more stringently enforced (later, caucus members came to believe that he did not work hard enough to fulfill his promise). Media coverage of the meeting helped the group gain recognition. Over the next quarter-century, members of the caucus built and strengthened ties with other influential members of the Black community, including educators, community and religious leaders, and local and state legislators, which enabled the group to influence public policy at all levels of government.
Although originally formed to promote the concerns of Black Americans and other members of minority groups, the caucus also worked to ensure that the government assisted others in need, including children, older adults, and individuals with physical or mental disabilities. The group asserts that it is possible and desirable to develop a national Black American position on matters of federal policy, and it has sought to direct that effort. Since its founding, the group has introduced and supported legislation concerning domestic issues such as employment, welfare and healthcare reform, education reform, small business development, urban revitalization, and federal disaster relief. In 1981, members of the caucus spoke out against the budget proposed by President Jimmy Carter, believing that it devoted too much funding to the military and too little to social programs. At House Judiciary Committee hearings in 1996, following a rash of firebombings of Black churches across the South, the caucus criticized the federal government’s apparent failure to prosecute those guilty of the crimes. Many of the group’s positions have been unpopular, even among some Black Americans. In the late 1990s, for example, the caucus strongly endorsed the work of Louis Farrakhan, the controversial leader of the Nation of Islam, who was accused by many of teaching anti-Semitism.
As the visibility and influence of the caucus increased, the group called for action on international issues of special concern to Black Americans, including human rights. It was one of the earliest and strongest voices urging that the United States use pressure against apartheid in South Africa and call for increased attention and aid to other African nations. In 2008, Barrack Obama became the first member of the caucus to be elected to the White House, followed by Kamala Harris as Joe Biden's vice president in 2020.
In 1976, the nonprofit, nonpartisan group, the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (CBCF), was established as a research and educational institute associated with the Congressional Black Caucus. The group aimed to influence policy, improve public health and education, and empower all communities. The foundation created its scholarship program in 1988, its Avoice Virtual Library Project in 2006, and began publishing its Journal of the Center for Policy Analysis and Research in 2018.
Bibliography
"About." Congressional Black Caucus, cbc.house.gov/about. Accessed 10 Oct. 2024.
Grose, Christian R. Congress in Black and White: Race and Representation in Washington and at Home. Cambridge UP, 2011.
Nelson, Sherice Janaye. The Congressional Black Caucus: Fifty Years of Fighting for Equality. Archway Publishing, 2021.
Persons, Georgia A., editor. The Expanding Boundaries of Black Politics. Transaction, 2007.
Rivers, Christina R. The Congressional Black Caucus, Minority Voting Rights, and the US Supreme Court. U of Michigan P, 2012.
"Vision & Mission." Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, www.cbcfinc.org/about/vision-mission. Accessed 10 Oct. 2024.