ICYMI: McClellan Helps Introduce the Protect Black Women and Girls Act

Washington, D.C. – Yesterday, Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan (VA-04) joined Congresswomen Robin Kelly (IL-02), Yvette Clarke (NY-09), Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), and Valerie Foushee (NC-04) for a press conference to announce the introduction of the Protect Black Women and Girls Act. McClellan is an original cosponsor of the legislation led by Congressional Caucus on Black Women and Girls Co-Chairs Kelly, Clarke, and Watson Coleman.

“Black women and girls have been underpaid, overlooked, and left behind for too long. We must do more to redress the lingering effects of over 300 years of slavery and Jim Crow,” said Congresswoman McClellan. “Black women and girls face disparities in every facet of our society, including education, housing, health care, the criminal justice system, and the workforce. I was honored to join Congressional Caucus on Black Women and Girls Co-Chairs Kelly, Clarke and Watson Coleman to help introduce this much-needed legislation. This bill would establish an interagency task force to identify long-standing inequities and provide recommendations to support Black women and girls. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the Caucus to advance policies to solve the challenges that disproportionately impact the Black community.”

The Protect Black Women and Girls Act will establish an interagency task force to examine the conditions and experiences of Black women and girls in education, economic development, health care, labor and unemployment, housing, justice, and civil rights. This task force will create community-based responses to the above issues and establish pathways to success based on holistic observation and research.

View photos and videos from the press conference here.