The Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus congratulates Biden and Harris on historic win

HARRISBURG, Nov. 9 – Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus Chairman Rep. Stephen Kinsey, D-Phila, along with PLBC members, issued this statement congratulating President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris:

“I am thrilled to soon call Joe Biden and Kamala Harris president and vice president. Their presence in the White House will restore intelligence and dignity to these esteemed offices, and a sense of pride in the American people. It is refreshing to see concrete, well-crafted strategies to move our nation forward, and I look forward to seeing manifestations of this progress,” Kinsey said on behalf of the PLBC.

“Breaking through the monotony of 231 years and 48 white men vice presidents, our nation elected its first woman and woman of color vice president, making this victory nothing short of historic. I am especially in awe that a HBCU graduate and a fellow member of a Divine 9 will soon serve as America’s vice president. Reveling in this moment means so much to me as a father of Black daughters, with Vice president- elect Harris shattering a glass ceiling, ultimately becoming a beacon of inspiration for every girl of color who can now walk through this world with the confidence in knowing that their big dreams can also become reality.

“We can’t celebrate this victory in, as President-elect Biden said, ‘the battle for the soul of this nation,’ without first acknowledging the warriors of this battle—Black activists, Black organizers and Black voters across Pennsylvania and the nation. It was their tireless efforts that ensured countless voices were heard loud and clear, especially over the racket of vicious voter suppression tactics. They organized and mobilized communities to exert their immense political power, and down to the days after, these community-builders occupied the streets demanding that every vote, every voice, was counted. We owe them a great deal and we must continue to support their labor in establishing political power. As legislators, however, the only way we can wholly repay them is to enact meaningful policy to satisfy their demands for true criminal justice reform, ending police violence, investments in marginalized communities, dismantling health disparities, especially in the wake of COVID-19, and ensuring equal access to opportunities that afford upward mobility.”