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 inde-
pendent and nonpartisan analyses through research, pub-
lication, 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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Whereas, in 1972, Mr. Eddie Williams was recruited to lead 
the Joint Center, after the organization had been found-
ed just 2 years earlier to support the hundreds of new 
Black elected officials who came into office in the after-
math 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 Presi-
dential 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 elect-
ed officials, and helped establish the National Coalition 
on Black Civic Participation; 
Whereas Mr. Williams also created Focus Magazine to tie to-
gether 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 pub-
lished 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 Cen-
ter; 
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 ad-
vance 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, in-
cluding— 
(1) bringing increased awareness to congressional 
staff diversity, culminating with the establishment of the 
Office of Diversity and Inclusion in the House of Rep-
resentatives; 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 suc-
cessfully convened leaders of major cities to discuss work-
force modernization in Black communities: Now, there-
fore, be it 
Resolved, That— 
(1) the work of the Joint Center for Political 
and Economic Studies is more relevant and nec-
essary now than ever before in the face of a global 
pandemic that is disproportionately affecting Black 
Americans’ health outcomes and economic security; 
and 
(2) the House of Representatives— 
(A) honors the Joint Center for Political 
and Economic Studies for their successes over 
the years; and 
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(B) reaffirms its commitment to working 
alongside the Joint Center for Political and 
Economic Studies and others to advance ideas 
and policies that promote, uplift, and enrich the 
Black community and all of America. 
Æ 
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