Biden Honors Black Contributions While Calling Out Racism Against Haitian Migrants

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden highlighted his administration’s focus on enhancing opportunities and equity for Black communities during a historic brunch celebrating Black Excellence at the White House on Friday. This event coincided with the Congressional Black Caucus’s annual legislative conference taking place in Washington, D.C.

Biden addressed attendees on the South Lawn, including Congressional Black Caucus members and prominent Black leaders, stating, “Today, we honor this simple truth: Black history is American history, Black excellence is American excellence, and folks, we don’t erase history like others are trying to — we make history.”

The gathering featured remarks from several influential figures, including White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, Black Excellence Brunch founder Trell Thomas, actress and producer Marsai Martin, and Shalanda Young, director of the Office of Management and Budget.

Reflecting on his experience, Biden said, “I know it because I’ve seen it. I’ve been vice president to the first Black president in American history, a president to the first Black vice president — and God willing, to the first female Black president in American history.”

With Biden’s earlier bid for a second term having shifted to Vice President Kamala Harris, she now has the opportunity to make history as the first woman, the first Black woman, and the first president of South Asian descent in the nation’s history.

Biden reiterated the administration’s accomplishments for Black communities, emphasizing record low unemployment rates and the creation of 2.4 million jobs for Black workers since taking office. He also noted significant strides in healthcare access, claiming that lower premiums had expanded Affordable Care Act enrollment among Black Americans by 95%, amounting to over 1.7 million individuals since 2020.

Further underscoring efforts to commemorate significant achievements, Biden recalled hosting the first-ever Juneteenth concert on the very lawn of the White House while declaring Juneteenth a federal holiday. He also celebrated the appointment of Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson as the first Black woman on the United States Supreme Court, which he termed “the best decision I made.”

Biden addressed racial discrimination faced by Haitian migrants, labeling the attacks on the community as “simply wrong.” His comments came in the wake of inflammatory remarks made by former President Donald Trump during a recent debate, which alleged bizarre and misleading claims about Haitian immigrants’ behavior in Ohio.

In response to the climate of intolerance, Biden asserted, “there’s no place in America. This has to stop, what he’s doing. It has to stop.” Both President Biden and Vice President Harris are scheduled to speak at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s Phoenix Awards Dinner on Saturday in Washington, D.C.