AURN News with Ebony McMorris

CBC Urges Companies To Strengthen DEI Policies and Tackle Racial Wealth Gap

Ebony McMorris
September 10, 2024

The sign above the door to the Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging inside the main administration building on the main University of Kansas campus is seen on Friday, April 12, 2024, in Lawrence, Kan. A conservative quest to limit diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives is gaining momentum in state capitals and college governing boards, with officials in about one-third of the states now taking some sort of action against it. (AP Photo/John Hanna, File)

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The Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) has released a new report urging corporations to expand their diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies to reduce the racial wealth gap. The report offers guidelines for companies to follow, emphasizing the legality of DEI programs, despite recent challenges from conservative lawmakers and activists.

CBC Chair Rep. Steven Horsford highlighted that after George Floyd’s death, corporations pledged $50 billion towards racial equity, but many have not since fulfilled their promises. Now, the CBC is calling for renewed corporate commitments and outlays 12 key areas, including leadership, diversity, and pay equity, where companies can make measurable progress.

The CBC, which engaged with nearly 200 companies through the report, aims to hold firms accountable for their promises and push for greater economic mobility in Black communities.

Click play to listen to the report from AURN White House Correspondent Ebony McMorris. For more news, follow @E_N_McMorris & @aurnonline.

White House Correspondent Ebony McMorris is a native Washingtonian and University of South Carolina alumna. Her passion is mentoring young adults by teaching community empowerment and media education. She is an NAB member and board member of the Thurgood Marshall Center and was presented the President’s Lifetime Achievement Award for contributing more than 4,000 hours of community service under the Obama Administration.