Title: Honoring the 50th anniversary of the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies.
Policy area: Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues

Summary:
This resolution honors the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies and reaffirms the commitment of the House of Representatives to working alongside the center and others to advance ideas and policies that promote, uplift, and enrich the Black community and all of America.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1263 Introduced in House (IH)]

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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;
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 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
    Resolved, That--
            (1) the work of the Joint Center for Political and Economic 
        Studies is more relevant and necessary 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
                    (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.
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