President Biden’s Approval Ratings Among Black Voters, Tech Companies Partner with Black Groups & More: Feb. 24 Joint Center Roundup

Biden Administration

Biden’s approval ratings among Black voters have declined, but are still high: President Biden’s approval ratings with Black Americans have declined from a high of 87 percent in March to 66 percent, according to a new CBS News poll. President Biden’s handling of inflation is the stark exception to overall positive approval ratings among Black Americans, who gave the president a 66 percent approval generally, but only 43 percent approval on inflation. Black Americans gave President Biden more positive approval ratings on race relations immigration, the economy, and crime. On his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, 72 percent of Black Americans surveyed said Biden has done a “good job,” versus only 42 percent of white Americans. A recent Joint Center survey also highlights his administration’s high approval ratings and pinpoints key issues for Black Americans, a year into his presidency.

President Biden moves forward in Supreme Court nomination process: The White House announced that President Biden has interviewed at least three potential Supreme Court justice nominees. The three finalists are all Black women: Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, Judge J. Michelle Childs, and Justice Leondra Kruger, according to The Washington Post. They are all considered front-runners to replace retiring Justice Stephen Breyer. President Biden has publicly stated that his pick will be announced before the end of February. The Joint Center has consistently supported President Biden’s promise to nominate a Black woman to the U.S. Supreme Court and has been working towards an increase in Black appointments through the organization’s Black Talent Initiative.

The Hill

Tech companies are leveraging partnerships with Black groups to fight tougher industry regulation: Big Tech companies have recruited groups representing Black and Latina/o adults to help fight against tougher regulations on the tech industry, Politico reports. Several of these groups associated with Apple, Google, and Facebook parent company Meta, are arguing that proposed bipartisan anti-trust legislation, including a bill co-sponsored by Congressman Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), will hurt Black communities and businesses.

Movement Building

The NAACP lauded a ruling in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia allowing a lawsuit against former President Trump to go forward. The NAACP and civil rights law firm Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll represent the plaintiffs in a suit brought by 10 members of Congress accusing former President Trump, along with the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers, of inciting the Jan. 6th insurrection on Capitol Hill.

The NAACP and the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law condemned a Minnesota judge for sentencing Minnesota former police officer Kim Potter to only two years in prison. Former officer Potter was convicted of two counts of manslaughter after fatally shooting Daunte Wright during a traffic stop. Former officer Potter claimed she intended to fire her Taser instead of her gun.

The NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund (LDF) urged Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards to veto the congressional map recently passed by state legislators. The LDF asserts that the map violates Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 by failing to provide Black voters in Louisiana an equal opportunity to participate in the political process and elect candidates of their choice.

The LDF sent a letter from a coalition of civil rights groups calling on state and federal government agencies to end the use of ID.me and other facial verification tools. Facial recognition technology has been found to have racial bias, leading to the wrongful arrest of Black men in at least three documented incidents.

The LDF sent a letter from a coalition of civil rights groups calling on state and federal government agencies to end the use of ID.me and other facial verification tools. Facial recognition technology has been found to have racial bias, leading to the wrongful arrest of Black men in at least three documented incidents.

The National Urban League (NUL) joined with the leaders of other civil rights groups to challenge NFL team owners to “overhaul their hiring practices for head coaching and top executive positions by setting measurable goals for recruiting and hiring diverse candidates,” and called for the creation of an advisory commission to make recommendations and establish guidelines. The civil rights leaders met virtually with several NFL owners and front-office and league executives, including NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.

The NUL partnered with the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration to build COVID-19 vaccine confidence and boost vaccination rates. A $11.125 million award to the NUL will fund the hiring of local Community Health Navigators for six Urban League affiliates to conduct outreach and engagement activities and assist community members in getting vaccinated and boosted.

Events

The Rainbow PUSH Coalition will present Shaping America’s Education Priorities: Working Toward Safer Schools, Feb. 24-28.

Black Voters Matter will celebrate the 57th anniversary of the historic Selma-to-Montgomery march at the Selma Bridge Crossing Jubilee, March 3-6.

The 25th Annual Rainbow PUSH Wall Street Project Economic Summit will be March 21-23.

The National Action Network Convention 2022 will be at the Sheraton Times Square New York Hotel in New York City, April 6-9.

The National Organization of Black County Official’s 36th Annual Economic Development Conference will be in (Shelby County) Memphis, TN, April 20.