IV 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. RES. 1263 

Honoring the 50th anniversary of the Joint Center for Political and Economic 

Studies. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

DECEMBER 15, 2020 

Ms. JOHNSON of Texas submitted the following resolution; which was referred 

to the Committee on Oversight and Reform 

RESOLUTION 

Honoring the 50th anniversary of the Joint Center for 

Political and Economic Studies. 

Whereas the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies 

(referred to in this preamble as the ‘‘Joint Center’’) is 

a national nonprofit institution that conducts research on 

public policy issues of special concern to Black Americans 

and promotes informed and effective involvement of 

Black people in the governmental process; 

Whereas, founded in 1970, the Joint Center provides independent and nonpartisan analyses through research, publication, and outreach programs; 

Whereas the Joint Center was the first of its kind when it 

was founded, serving as America’s primary Black think 

tank; 


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•HRES 1263 IH 

Whereas, in 1972, Mr. Eddie Williams was recruited to lead 

the Joint Center, after the organization had been founded just 2 years earlier to support the hundreds of new 

Black elected officials who came into office in the aftermath of the Voting Rights Act of 1965; 

Whereas, over the next 3 decades, Mr. Williams built the 

Joint Center into the epicenter of Black political thought 

and research and hosted Black elected officials every 4 

years to assemble policy priorities to share with Presidential candidates and transition teams; 

Whereas, under the leadership of Mr. Williams, the Joint 

Center helped establish several organizations of Black 

elected officials, built a roster of over 10,000 Black elected officials, and helped establish the National Coalition 

on Black Civic Participation; 

Whereas Mr. Williams also created Focus Magazine to tie together Black elected officials, political activists, and 

scholars nationwide; 

Whereas the Joint Center became a full-fledged think tank 

with Mr. Williams at the helm, commissioned and published regular surveys of Black Americans, and produced 

various studies, reports, books, and events; 

Whereas top scholars like John Hope Franklin, Mary 

Frances Berry, Kenneth Clark, Chris Edley, David 

Garrow, Evelyn Brooks Higginbotham, Ron Walters, and 

William Julius Wilson have worked with the Joint Center; 

Whereas, under the current leadership of Spencer Overton, 

the current president, the Joint Center has remained a 

consistent presence in the application and advancement 


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of empirics-based policies supporting strategies to advance Black America; 

Whereas the Joint Center plays a critical role in keeping our 

leaders properly informed and educated on the issues 

that Black Americans face daily; 

Whereas, just last year, the Joint Center was credited for 

several efforts to achieve diversity in the workforce, including— 

(1) bringing increased awareness to congressional 

staff diversity, culminating with the establishment of the 

Office of Diversity and Inclusion in the House of Representatives; and 

(2) encouraging companies to consider the future of 

their work through a racial equity lens; and 

Whereas, over the last 50 years, the Joint Center has successfully convened leaders of major cities to discuss workforce modernization in Black communities: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That— 

2 (1) the work of the Joint Center for Political 

3 and Economic Studies is more relevant and nec4 essary now than ever before in the face of a global 

5 pandemic that is disproportionately affecting Black 

6 Americans’ health outcomes and economic security; 

7 and 

8 (2) the House of Representatives— 

9 (A) honors the Joint Center for Political 

10 and Economic Studies for their successes over 

11 the years; and 


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1 (B) reaffirms its commitment to working 

2 alongside the Joint Center for Political and 

3 Economic Studies and others to advance ideas 

4 and policies that promote, uplift, and enrich the 

5 Black community and all of America. 

Æ 


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