Meeks, Jeffries, Clarke Host Black Elected Officials Conference to Address Black Community Needs During Pandemic

New York – Representatives Gregory W. Meeks, Hakeem Jefferies and Yvette D. Clarke hosted yesterday the first New York Black Elected Officials conference, creating a forum for black lawmakers to discuss the needs of their community in light of coronavirus, and coordinate action across all levels of government.

They issued the following statement:

"We've seen across America that Black and Brown communities are bearing the brunt of coronavirus, especially in New York where our communities are an epicenter within the epicenter of this pandemic. Black elected officials in the federal, state and local government must work together to address COVID-19's disproportionate impact on African American communities, ensuring that the essential workers coming from our neighborhoods are properly protected as they take care of our sick, keep our trains running, and our grocery store shelves stocked. We must ensure that emergency federal funding is distributed by need, and that the health care system that hasn't always worked as well for the Black community is prepared to take care of our particularly vulnerable population.

"Black lawmakers must work collectively across borough and county lines in order to prevent the inequalities that have always existed for minorities from exacerbating an already deadly pandemic. This is an all-hands-on-deck crisis, and everyone is rising to the occasion to address the many needs our front-line heroes and families need."