NAACP meets with Biden, Harris, pushes for 'civil rights envoy' to spearhead racial justice reforms

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The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), met with President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris Tuesday and pushed him to create a new "civil rights envoy" position in the White House to carry out a racial justice agenda. 

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“He appointed John Kerry to be the climate envoy, reporting directly to him. We believe a national adviser on racial justice should be something equivalent,” NAACP president Derrick Johnson said in an interview prior to the meeting, according to The New York Times. 

The new position, serving as a national advisor to Biden, would solely focus on advancing social justice reforms and expanding budgets and government resources for Black communities. 

"The National Advisor on Racial Justice, Equity, and Advancement would be charged with centralizing bold, visionary thinking and strategy on racial justice within the White House and fostering holistic measures throughout government to tackle the pervasive problem of systemic racism," the NAACP said in a statement. "The Advisor would report directly to President Biden with an office fully resourced and staffed to accomplish its mission."

Civil rights leaders from seven different organizations spoke via Zoom with Biden and Harris, commending them for diverse Cabinet picks, but urging Biden to choose a Black attorney general, a move that would be crucial in overseeing instances of police brutality, much like the ones that have gripped national headlines all election cycle. 

Rev. Al Sharpton urged Biden to consider an African American contender for the position, impressing that the candidate should have a civil rights background and be ready to overhaul the Justice Department after four years of the Trump administration, which many Black advocates have decried as extremely divisive.

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Sharpton said he planned to have a private conversation with Biden to discuss specific people he has in mind, and no names were mentioned. 

Sharpton tipped his hat to Biden's defense secretary pick, Gen. Lloyd J. Austin III, the first Black person to ever serve in the position, as “a step in a long walk.” 

Although Biden's campaign made history for choosing the first Black female to be his second in command, he repeatedly faced criticism from progressives in his party for not committing to reforms such as defunding the police, especially after months of outrage and protests after the death of George Floyd, a Black man who died in police custody in late May. 

Instead, Biden said he would prioritize addressing the country’s racial wealth gaps, environmental issues and invest in racial health disparities, among other wide-reaching goals affecting Black communities. 

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His plan promises to build up small-business opportunities for minority communities, reform “opportunity zones” and invest in affordable housing and homeownership. The plan would invest $30 billion, 10% of the $300 billion Biden has said he will invest in research and development to stimulate the economy, to a new small business opportunity fund.