U.S. Efforts to Combat Systemic Racism
Special to The Truth
“The prevalence, and
pervasiveness, of racial discrimination might make the
situation look hopeless, but we remain hopeful. Let us
expose the racism and racial discrimination endemic to every
society, around the globe. Let us press forward, to root out
that discrimination and remove the rot from our foundations.
And on this day dedicated to ending racial discrimination,
let us leave our children a less hateful, more hopeful
world.”
— U.S. Ambassador to the
United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield
Combating systemic racism
requires aggressive action to address structures, policies,
and practices that contribute to the wealth gap, to health
disparities, and to inequalities in educational access,
outcomes, and beyond. Today, on the occasion of the United
Nations’ (UN) International Day for the Elimination of
Racial Discrimination, the United States reiterates its
determination to address these challenges at home and
abroad, and to make clear to the world that nations with
genuine devotion to human rights and equality do not conceal
their own failings – they confront them honestly,
transparently, and with a determination to make things
right.
Here is what the
administration is doing to address systemic racism:
Advancing Racial Equity in
the Federal Government: On Day 1 of this administration, the
President issued Executive Order (EO) 13985 which
established that the Federal Government should pursue a
comprehensive approach to advancing equity for all and
creating opportunities for the improvement of communities
that have been historically underserved.
Condemning and Combating
Racism, Xenophobia, and Intolerance Against the Asian
American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Community: On January
26, President Biden issued a Memorandum Condemning and
Combating Racism, Xenophobia, and Intolerance against Asian
Americans and Pacific Islanders in the United States. The
memorandum orders executive departments and agencies to take
all appropriate steps to ensure that official actions,
documents, and statements, including those that pertain to
the COVID-19 pandemic, do not exhibit or contribute to
racism, xenophobia, and intolerance against Asian Americans
and Pacific Islanders.
Assessing Domestic Violent
Extremism: President Biden directed the U.S. government
interagency to study the threat of domestic violent
extremism in the United States. Earlier this week, the
Office of the Director of National Intelligence released the
unclassified executive summary of the comprehensive
assessment acknowledging that domestic violent extremist
motivations include biases against minority populations.
Creating a Chief Diversity
and Inclusion Officer (CDIO) at the State Department:
Secretary of State Blinken created the position of a Chief
Diversity and Inclusion Officer (CDIO) at the State
Department, in recognition of the crucial role diversity,
equity, and inclusion can and should play in U.S. foreign
policy. Reporting directly to the Secretary, the CDIO will
align and advance Diversity and Inclusion policies across
the department, bring transparency to these initiatives, and
hold senior leadership accountable on progress.
Incorporating Racial Justice
into U.S. Foreign Policy Goals: Addressing systemic racism
and strengthening democracy in the United States is a
critical part of President Biden’s foreign policy vision.
The Secretary of State shall submit a report to the
appropriate congressional committees describing initiatives
that address racial and ethnic discrimination abroad, to
include a list of Department efforts that explicitly focus
on addressing racial and ethnic prejudice and
discriminations, funding for civil society grants and
Embassy programs and initiatives, exchange and leadership
programs, and related efforts. This includes State
Department programming through the Bureau of Democracy,
Human Rights, and Labor (DRL) and the U.S. Agency for
International Development (USAID).
Supporting Historically
Marginalized Populations Around the World: Globally, the
United States supports organizations to empower racial and
ethnic minority communities, and uphold the dignity of
people who are systematically denied their human rights and
fundamental freedoms. Programs support locally-led efforts
to combat all types of racial and ethnic hatred and violence
and facilitate access to justice for victims of racism.
Initiatives are intersectional and support individuals who
face discrimination on account of gender identity and
expression, sexual orientation, disability, race or
ethnicity, religion, and national origin.
Calling for Action at the UN
Human Rights Council: At the UN Human Rights Council, more
than 140 nations joined the United States in a statement
outlining the continuing scourge of racism and racial
discrimination, xenophobia, and other forms of intolerance.
This historic cross-regional statement is a call to action
for all nations to:
* acknowledge and address
the legacy and persistence of systemic racism
* review and revise
long-standing practices and policies to ensure all
individuals are treated equally
* embed fairness and
inclusivity in decision-making processes
* redress inequities in
policies that serve as barriers to equal opportunity
* eliminate barriers to
political participation
Nominating a U.S.
Representative to the Committee on the Elimination of Racial
Discrimination: The United States nominated Professor Gay
McDougall to serve on the Committee on the Elimination of
Racial Discrimination, a body of 18 independent experts that
monitors implementation of the Convention on the Elimination
of All Forms of Racial Discrimination by its State parties.
Her nomination underscores the value that the Biden
administration places on the Committee’s work and her
election would end our nearly three-year long losing streak
for full-term seats in UN human rights treaty bodies.
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