The American Jobs Plan Advances Racial Equity
For generations, entrenched disparities in our economy and our society have made it harder for communities of color to get a fair shot at the American dream. The consequences of decades of disinvestment in Americans physical and care infrastructure have fallen most heavily on communities of color, while the impacts of pollution and the climate crisis disproportionately threaten the lives and livelihoods of Americans of color. It is time for long overdue investments that tackle systemic racism and rebuild our economy and our social safety net so that every person in America can reach their full potential.
President Biden’s American Jobs Plan will make a generational investment in racial justice. His plan will build our economy back better through transformational investments in programs to combat racial disparities in health, safety, and access to opportunity. President Biden’s plan takes a comprehensive approach to advancing equity for communities of color in sectors of our economy and society where racial injustice has been allowed to fester for too long. The American Jobs Plan will bring our nation closer to the promise of equity and justice for all. Specifically, President Biden’s American Jobs Plan will:
EXPAND JOB OPPORTUNITIES FOR COMMUNITIES OF COLOR
- Invest in equitable workforce development and job training programs. One in ten Black workers, and one in eleven Latino workers have faced unemployment during the COVID-19 crisis. And as more Americans rejoin the workforce or seek out new opportunities in a changing economy, there is a greater need for skills development opportunities for all workers. President Biden’s plan invests $100 billion in workforce development programs targeted at underserved communities to get our students on paths to trades and careers before they graduate from high school. His plan will help trainees compete for in-demand jobs through wraparound services, income supports, counseling, and case management, paired with high-quality training and effective partnerships between educational institutions, unions, and employers.
- Target workforce development opportunities in underserved communities. Structural racism and persistent economic inequities have undermined opportunity for millions of workers. All of the investments in workforce training in President Biden’s plan will prioritize underserved communities and communities who have struggled in a transforming economy. Specifically, the American Jobs Plan will ensure that new jobs created in clean energy, manufacturing, and infrastructure are readily accessible to women and people of color. This includes training programs like registered apprenticeships and pre-apprenticeships, which will strengthen the pipeline for more women and people of color to access these opportunities using successful pre-apprenticeship programs.
- Bridge the digital divide by achieving 100 percent coverage of high-speed broadband. There is a stark digital divide in America. Black and Latino families are less likely to be able to access home broadband internet than white families, compounding systemic barriers to opportunity and economic equality. The President’s plan will prioritize building “future proof” broadband infrastructure in unserved and underserved areas so that we finally reach 100% high-speed broadband coverage. He is committed to lower internet prices for all Americans, and for promoting adoption of affordable broadband internet in both rural and urban communities to help close the digital divide. His plan will also invest in long-overdue expansion of broadband on Tribal lands, in consultation with Tribal Nations, and in U.S. Territories.
- Protect the health, safety, and rights workers of color. President Biden is calling on Congress to provide the federal government with the tools it needs to ensure employers are providing workers with good jobs – including jobs with fair and equal pay, safe and healthy workplaces, and workplaces free from racial, gender, and other forms of discrimination and harassment. In addition to a $10 billion
