Guest Editorial: The CBC remains the conscience of Congress

People across the United States and the world descended upon Washington for the 53rd Annual Legislative Conference (ALC) of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC). From Sept. 11 to 15, under the theme “From Vision to Victory: Amplifying Black Voices,” the Black Agenda was front and center of intense policy discussions that “envision a world in which all communities have an equal voice in public policy through leadership cultivation, economic empowerment, and civic engagement.” With the Nov. 5 presidential election between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald J. Trump less than 60 days away, the ALC – the nation’s leading policy conference on issues impacting Black Americans and the global Black community – has taken on even greater importance. In the late 1960s, Michigan Democratic Representative Charles Diggs proposed forming the Democratic Select Committee (DSG) in the U.S. Congress. He felt that the few Black Members of Congress needed to be organized formally to ensure that their constituencies’ concerns were effectively heard and listened to on the floors of the House and Senate. At the time, Diggs, the first Black elected to Congress in 1954 from Michigan, said: “The sooner we can get organized for group action, the more...