Congressional Leaders Reintroduce Bipartisan Protect Black Women and Girls Act
Originally published by Cheyanne Daniels for the Hill
A bipartisan group of lawmakers has reintroduced a bill that would establish a task force to examine the conditions and experiences of Black women and girls in America. Democratic Reps. Robin Kelly (Ill.), Yvette Clarke (N.Y.) and Bonnie Watson Coleman (N.J.) — co-chairs of the Caucus on Black Women and Girls — joined Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) in reintroducing the Protect Black Women and Girls Act on Wednesday, more than two years after it was first introduced.
“Simply acknowledging our country’s history of targeted discrimination, harassment and violence against Black women and girls will not correct years of systemic racism and sexism,” Kelly said in a statement.
“We must leverage the full weight of the federal government to seek justice for Black women and girls who deserve an equal opportunity for a full, happy, healthy life.”
Racial disparities in health care, salary and education disproportionately affect Black women and girls.
Black women die from pregnancy-related complications at three times the rate of white women, and a study by the Black Women’s Blueprint found 60 percent of Black girls experience sexual assault before they are 18.
Meanwhile, Black girls are four times more likely to be arrested at school and five times more likely to be transferred to another school for disciplinary reasons than their white counterparts, according to data from the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights.
When it comes to salary, Black women are paid 67 cents for every dollar a white man makes, according to the National Women’s Law Center.