March 13, 2023
Members of Maryland’s federal, state and native governments at this time counseled the NAACP for a letter despatched by NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson to President Biden urging the administration to pick Prince George County for the long run headquarters of the ‘FBI Aligns with President’s Dedication to Advance Financial Alternative and Construct Higher Fairness for Black People. Maryland Governor Wes Moore, Lieutenant Governor Aruna Miller, US Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen, Prince George County Govt Angela Alsobrooks, and Congressmen Steny H. Hoyer, Dutch Ruppersberger, John Sarbanes, Kweisi Mfume, Jamie Raskin, David Trone and Glenn Ivey applauded the NAACP’s letter and harassed their dedication to working collectively to convey the FBI to Prince George’s County.
“Prince George County is undoubtedly the only option for the brand new and consolidated FBI headquarters. The county not solely meets the FBI’s mission necessities, it additionally affords President Biden the very best alternative to advance his acknowledged fairness targets and comes at a significantly better value to American taxpayers. We recognize the NAACP’s partnership as we work to proper previous historic wrongs and supply better financial alternative for our communities. Bringing the FBI to Maryland is each the precise factor to do and the good factor to do, and we’re delighted to have the NAACP be part of us on this effort.” lawmakers mentioned in a joint assertion.
The letter from NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson begins, “As a company that has lengthy served on the vanguard of the motion to advance civil rights, create financial alternative, and construct better fairness for Black People and all individuals of coloration, the NAACP was happy to see the dedication enduring of you and your administration to additional those self same priorities. […] At a White Home Black Historical past Month reception just some days in the past, you renewed your pledge to deal with long-standing disparities in federal funding and procurement in Black communities. In keeping with the NAACP Maryland State Convention, we search to uplift the voices of those identical communities, which is why we ask you to think about these pursuits in figuring out the situation of the brand new consolidated FBI headquarters”
“Federal amenities like the brand new FBI campus are producing a flood of high quality authorities jobs, contracting alternatives and clients for native small companies within the surrounding space. Within the course of, they’ll rework underprivileged Black communities for the higher. Greenbelt, MD, and Landover, MD – each finalists within the FBI Headquarters Enlargement Workplace – are two such examples. Selecting one among these websites would guarantee your administration is doing every thing it might to realize its fairness targets” Johnson continues.
“Your determination about the place to find the brand new FBI headquarters will slim or widen the disparities already affecting the Nationwide Capital Area. The NAACP is a agency believer that selecting Prince George County as the brand new headquarters of the FBI will do the utmost to advance your fairness agenda. Such a choice wouldn’t be charity. The Greenbelt and Landover websites meet and exceed the FBI’s operational and safety wants. Moreover, the county has a various and extremely expert workforce that will improve the FBI’s capability to perform its mission. Certainly, our authorities – and its buildings – ought to replicate the range of the American individuals it serves” the letter solicits.
Johnson writes in closing: “The NAACP will proceed to proudly help your administration to make sure better civil rights, justice and alternative for Black People. In the identical spirit, we hope you may be with us on this matter. Thanks for contemplating these views.
The complete textual content of the letter is out there right here and under.
Pricey Mr. President:
As a company that has lengthy served on the vanguard of the motion to advance civil rights, create financial alternative, and construct better fairness for Black People and all individuals of coloration, the NAACP was happy to see the enduring dedication of you and your administration to advance those self same priorities. You may have made clear your dedication to those targets for the reason that early days of your presidency, while you issued a number of govt orders on fairness and appointed probably the most various cupboard in our nation’s historical past. By coordinating with lawmakers in Congress and with organizations like ours, your administration has additionally ensured that fairness was on the coronary heart of current legislative breakthroughs in pandemic aid, infrastructure, manufacturing, well being care, and public security. At a White Home Black Historical past Month reception just some days in the past, you renewed your pledge to deal with long-standing disparities in federal funding and procurement in Black communities. In keeping with the NAACP Maryland State Convention, we search to uplift the voices of those identical communities, which is why we ask you to think about these pursuits when figuring out the situation of the brand new consolidated FBI headquarters.
Federal amenities akin to the brand new FBI campus are producing a flood of high quality authorities jobs, contracting alternatives and clients for native small companies within the surrounding space. Within the course of, they’ll rework underprivileged Black communities for the higher. Greenbelt, MD, and Landover, MD – each finalists within the FBI Headquarters Enlargement Workplace – are two such examples. Selecting one among these websites would be certain that your administration is doing every thing it might to realize its fairness targets.
Throughout his tenure as president, he has been dedicated to reinvigorating communities akin to Greenbelt and Landover. Each are in the one majority-black jurisdiction within the Nationwide Capital Area: Prince George’s County, MD. For many years, the county was reserved for federal funding in comparison with the remainder of the area. Regardless of housing 20% of the area’s federal staff, Prince George County obtained solely 4% of the area’s federal places of work. As an alternative, it has obtained half of the area’s federal warehouses, which do little to stimulate the native financial system and create financial alternative for Prince Georgians.
This disparity in federal workplace house has contributed to revenue inequality and the racial wealth hole within the better Washington metro space. The typical wages of Prince Georgians are under the typical in the remainder of the area by 18% and under the typical in Fairfax County by 48%. Prince George County additionally ranks 107th in financial mobility among the many 150 largest counties in America. Conversely, Fairfax County ranks second. Crucially, 64% of Prince Georgians are black, in comparison with solely 10% of the inhabitants in Fairfax County, which is the third proposed website.
Your determination on the place to find the brand new FBI headquarters will slim or widen the disparities already affecting the Nationwide Capital Area. The NAACP is a agency believer that selecting Prince George County as the brand new headquarters of the FBI will do the utmost to advance your fairness agenda. Such a choice wouldn’t be charity. The Greenbelt and Landover websites meet and exceed the FBI’s operational and safety wants. Moreover, the county has a various and extremely expert workforce that will improve the FBI’s capability to perform its mission. Certainly, our authorities – and its buildings – ought to replicate the range of the American individuals it serves.
The NAACP will proceed to proudly help your administration to make sure better civil rights, justice and alternative for Black People. In the identical spirit, we hope you may be with us on this matter. Thanks for contemplating these views.
