Highlights from President Joe Biden's NAACP National Convention Speech
The 46th president speaks on "black" jobs, HBCUs, unemployment, business startups, Affordable Care Act, George Floyd, Officer Eugene Goodman and more
It is absolutely draining to watch a video or read an article and see a comment from someone asking, “What has Biden done for Black America?” The same way you logged onto YouTube, sat down in your throne at a radio station or checked out your favorite blog site is the exact same way you can log onto WhiteHouse.gov and read a few press releases in the “Briefing Room.” (Note: I do suspect that a considerable amount of these social media profiles with black faces used a free photo site. I just don’t have the patience nor the time to pull a Nev Schulman and do a Google Image Search on every photo.)
Recommended Read: “Yes, Gallup calls black people too ~ While Hillary Clinton's election made me largely lose interest in polls, I was pleasantly surprised by my caller ID notification”
For those of you — whether you’re asking from a genuine place and still think Google has a cover charge or those who are Blackfishing — who are asking what the 46th president has “done for the Black community,” he answered your questions at the NAACP National Convention tonight. Here are a few highlights.
45:45 OPPOSITION TO VIOLENCE AGAINST INNOCENT BLACK PEOPLE
“If we’re going to stand against violence, we’re going to stand against all violence. We’re going to stand against violence of a presidential candidate in Pennsylvania. We’re going to stand against all violence — violence against George Floyd in Minnesota, against black veterans like police officer Eugene Goodman on January 6, on black election workers like Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss in Atlanta.”
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46:22 OPPOSITION TO WHITE SUPREMACY
“We have to stand against the violence and intimidation of white supremacy. The murder. Innocent lives in grocery store in Buffalo, New York, when I went up there — or the Emanuel Church in South Carolina.”
47:06 SUPPORT OF GUN CONTROL
“If we’re going to speak about violence, we’re going to speak about guns. More children in America died of gun shoot wounds than any other reason. That’s stunning, and that is sick. And it’s sheer cowardice to do nothing about it. So if you want to stand against violence in America, then join me in getting these weapons of war off the streets of America. An AR-15 was used in the shooting of Donald Trump, just as it was an assault weapon that killed so many children. It’s time to outlaw them. I did it once, and I will do it again.”
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FROM NPR NEWS: Twenty five years ago, when Biden was chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Congress passed the Public Safety and Recreational Firearms Use Protection Act — commonly called the assault weapons ban.
It prohibited the manufacture or sale for civilian use of certain semi-automatic weapons. The act also banned magazines that could accommodate 10 rounds or more.
Recommended Read: “The U.S. Once Had A Ban On Assault Weapons — Why Did It Expire?”
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48:37 SUPPORT OF AFFORDABLE CARE ACT (OBAMACARE)
“Here’s the truth about why Donald Trump’s presidency was hell for Black America. He tried to repeal Obamacare to kick millions … of Black Americans off their health insurance. Had a $2 trillion tax cut that overwhelmingly benefitted the super wealthy, the biggest corporation, and exploded the federal debt larger than any one president had in one term.
FROM WHITEHOUSE.GOV: We gave the government the same power to be able to do what they can do at the Department of Veterans Affairs: negotiate lower drug prices.
[…]
Insulin was invented 100 years ago and only costs about 10 bucks a vial to make. But drug companies are charging hundreds of dollars a vial.
But beginning January 1 of this year, we capped that cost at $35 a month no matter what for — for seniors.
-Recommended Read: “Remarks by President Biden at an Affordable Care Act Anniversary Event (2023)”
49:49 CHALLENGING TRUMP’S IDEA OF WHAT A “BLACK JOB” IS
“I love his phrase ‘black jobs.’ Tells a lot about the man — and about his character. Folks, I know what a ‘black job’ is. It’s the Vice President of the United States. I know what a ‘black job’ is. It’s the first black president in American history: Barack Obama. I was vice president with Barack, and she is my vice president. I nominated the first black Secretary of Defense in American history. Doing one helluva job. I nominated the first black woman to the United States Supreme Court. It matters!”
Watch the video above to find out more contributions from the Biden administration when it comes to jobs, HBCU funding and more.
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