The members of the PLBC reflect on one of the darkest days in our country's history as a time to honor the strength and struggles of Black Pennsylvanians yesterday and today. Read more
“The Pennsylvania state budget is a valuable measure of our commonwealth’s priorities and can be our best tool for racial and structural equity. Unfortunately, the budget sometimes adversely, even if unintentionally,” impacts Pennsylvania’s Black, indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) communities, according to the letter. Read more
HARRISBURG, Jan. 21 – State Reps. Malcolm Kenyatta and Rick Krajewski, co-chairs of the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus’ Subcommittee on Voting and Democracy, today condemned Republican state Rep. Russ Diamond’s dangerous proposal that would amend the state constitution to divide the state’s highest courts into over 30 districts across the state. Kenyatta and Krajewski, both D-Phila., also slammed claims made by Diamond, R-Lebanon, to bolster his proposal that these changes would allow for more Black judges in the appellate court system. “So much blood has been spilled on American streets in the fight to safeguard our democracy. It’s a fight that continues today, but state Representative Russ Diamond’s proposal spits in the faces of these slain foot soldiers for justice, making their pursuits count for naught, and stands to undo their legacy by usurping power from the people and placing it in the palm of the one-party-controlled General Assembly to gerrymander judicial districts,” Kenyatta said. “Additionally, Representative Diamond padding support for his dangerous bill with feigned concern for diversifying our courts system is an absolute disgrace. “This bill doesn’t allow for more Black justices—that’s just a ruse. It would instead minimize Black voting power in Pennsylvania’s largest and predominately Black cities to elect only three justices statewide. This bill further Read more
HARRISBURG, Jan. 12 – State Rep. and Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus Chairwoman Donna Bullock, D-Phila., this week appointed state Reps. Malcom Kenyatta and Rick Krajewski, both D-Phila., as co-chairmen of the PLBC subcommittee on voting and democracy. The committee will focus on voting rights, gerrymandering, and judicial gerrymandering. “During this very turbulent time in our country and even in our own state,” Bullock said, “we need to focus on fair, free and transparent elections. We just finished what was called one of the fairest and most efficient elections in our history yet there is rhetoric floating around our state legislature to discredit that. Let’s be clear, these recent events are modern day voter suppression efforts, and a violent attack on the votes of Black and other people of color. The establishment of this subcommittee to focus on voting and democracy is an important one and I believe that Representatives Kenyatta and Krajewski have the fortitude to keep these issues at the forefront and lead this important discussion as we move into the new legislative session.” Kenyatta also serves on of the State Government Committee and introduced legislation that would modernize the voting process by allowing more time to vote in person and with mail ballots. He was also one of the 538 Pennsylvania electors and delivered the motion to declare President-elect Joe Biden’s Read more
HARRISBURG, Jan. 7 – The Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus this week installed officers to serve in the 2021-22 legislative session, announced Chairwoman Donna Bullock, D-Phila. “We came together to install our officers and acknowledge the importance of our voices in Harrisburg and across the commonwealth in what has turned into a very concerning time for Pennsylvania and this country,” Bullock said. “The events of Wednesday in Washington and Tuesday in our own Senate chamber in Pennsylvania further highlighted the need for our leadership at a time like this in our history.” The following members were installed as officers: Chairwoman Rep. Donna Bullock, D-Phila. Vice Chairwoman Rep. Summer Lee, D-Allegheny Secretary Rep. Carol Hill-Evans, D-York Treasurer Rep. Manny Guzman, D-Berks Pennsylvania Superior Court Judge Carolyn Nichols administered the oath to each officer. In addition to officers, the following members were appointed by Bullock to lead subcommittees: Subcommittee on Health Equity and Justice – Rep. Stephen Kinsey, D-Phila. Subcommittee on Education – Rep. Regina Young, D-Phila./Delaware Subcommittee on Budget Equity – Rep. Napoleon Nelson, D-Montgomery Subcommittee on Women and Girls of Color – Rep. Darisha Parker, D-Phila. Subcommittee on Gun Violence and Public Safety – Rep. Amen Brown, D-Phila. Founded in 1973 by then-Majority Leader K. Leroy Irvis, Read more
PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 30 – State Rep. and Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus Chairwoman Donna Bullock, D-Phila., and members of the Black Caucus sent a letter to Gov. Tom Wolf praising him for reallocating funds in hopes of its use for small business pandemic relief grants but also asking for continued vigilance for a fair and equitable allocation. Last week Wolf initiated a transfer of $145 million in funds from the Workers’ Compensation Security Fund to the General Fund so that they may be reallocated for pandemic-related small business grants. The General Assembly would have to vote on the reallocation when lawmakers return in January. “My colleagues and I applaud this move by the governor,” Bullock said. “As we head into the new year, this funding could provide small businesses across the commonwealth with funds they need to fight this virus and support their communities. Small businesses are the lifeblood of neighborhoods and nowhere is that more evident than in communities of color. Those businesses were behind the eight ball before the pandemic even occurred so this relief will be very needed for those business owners. We need to do everything we can to ensure their success as we all navigate COVID.” The letter states the PLBC believes state resources must be directed in an equitable, impactful, and accessible manner, especially targeting areas of significant need, and is creating the subcommittee on budget equity to Read more
Legislators ask for release of families, children in face of COVID pandemic, unsanitary conditions Read more
HARRISBURG, Nov. 13 – Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus Chairman Rep. Stephen Kinsey congratulated his successor state Rep. Donna Bullock for being elected to head the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus for the 2021-22 legislative session. Bullock, who currently serves as vice chair of the PLBC and will be the third woman to chair the caucus in its 47-year history, was elected by returning and new members of the 27-member bicameral caucus during caucus-wide leadership elections on Tuesday. PLBC members also elected Rep. Summer Lee, D-Allegheny, as vice chair, while Rep. Carol Hill-Evans, D-York, will retain her role as secretary, and Rep.-Elect Manny Guzman, D-Berks, will serve as treasurer. “Representative Bullock has been an outstanding vice chair of the PLBC, and I’m thrilled to see manifestations of her dedication in ensuring communities of color are uplifted and recognized in the legislative fabric of our commonwealth,” said Kinsey, D-Phila. “I also want to congratulate other members for being elected to serve in their respective leadership roles. Each of these members has been championing equality and justice as activists and now as lawmakers. It’s solid track records like these that continue to propel the mission of this esteemed caucus forward.” In the current legislative session, Kinsey and the PLBC unveiled a platform that focused on investing in schools and educational opportunity, reforming a criminal Read more
HARRISBURG, Nov. 13 – Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus Chairman Rep. Stephen Kinsey, D-Phila., is congratulating state Rep. Joanna McClinton for winning the role of House Democratic Leader for the 2021-22 legislative session. McClinton was elected to lead the Democrats in the next term during the caucus’ leadership elections held on Thursday. She becomes the first woman and woman of color to be elected floor leader in the Pennsylvania House. “Representative McClinton has been breaking barriers for women and women of color throughout her life,” Kinsey said. “She was the first African-American woman to be elected to serve the 191 st Legislative District in Philadelphia County when she won her special election in 2015. From that time on she has worked hard and with purpose to win the respect of her peers and to help move the Democratic agenda of people first to the forefront of public policy. “I not only congratulate my good friend for this well-deserved recognition of her talents and ability to bring people together on behalf of the people we serve, but I also congratulate the Pennsylvania House institution as a whole for ushering in a new era of leadership where women and girls, and especially women and girls of color, can rise to the top and assume roles once reserved for men only. “I look forward to working with Leader-elect McClinton and the entire House Democratic Leadership team in helping to enact an Read more
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 Read more
HARRISBURG, Oct. 27 – State Rep. Stephen Kinsey, chairman of the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus, along with its members and members of the Pennsylvania Police Reform Working Group and the Philadelphia House Delegation, are demanding justice for West Philadelphia resident Walter Wallace Jr., a 27-year-old Black man, who was killed by police on Monday afternoon in the Cobbs Creek section of the city. Members of these respective legislative bodies also called on the legislature to expeditiously pass the multiple pieces of police reform legislation languishing without action, some of which address procedures on non-lethal de-escalation methods and would instill policies for safer police interactions with residents experiencing mental health crises. “A mother watched her son, suffering from mental illness, be met with a barrage of bullets before her eyes, and a neighborhood saw the same. A mother and father lost their son, and children have lost their father--generations of one family and an entire community are now forced to bear that trauma for the rest of their lives,” said Kinsey, D-Phila. “Indeed, it’s trauma that we are all forced to bear as we have yet to receive justice for the countless other Black lives killed with impunity at the hands of police. Furthermore, during a time when seeking mental health resources is strongly encouraged, this tragedy reveals that living with mental illness while Black, however, and crying for help is Read more
We need to stand against these types of policies that prey on communities or color and force on us additional social issues that negatively impact our economic opportunities. Read more
As community activists and public officials call for a change in how resources are provided to communities of color throughout the Commonwealth, some members of the state legislature are still looking into policies that exploit low-income and minority neighborhoods. The most recent example is the fast-tracking of legislation that would create thousands of mini casinos and slots parlors on every street corner in cities across the state. This is simply a proliferation of gambling that historically targets poor and largely minority communities. My colleagues and I on both sides of the political aisle are working hard to address policies that rethink how we fund and operate policing in our communities and how we can better reinvest public tax dollars back into programs that lift up minority neighborhoods. This includes investments in public education, economic development and health care. But, as the General Assembly finally begins to address the systemic issues and inequities that plague communities of color, some in the legislature are pushing for expanded gambling that will have major consequences in our neighborhoods. Even as the eyes of the world have been opened to the injustices and inequities facing people of color, a coalition of out-of-sate video gambling companies are looking to expand their predatory practices and bring tens of thousands of video gambling devices into bars, restaurants and grocery stores. These machines Read more
PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 7 – State House lawmakers representing the House Philadelphia Delegation and Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus today pledged their full weight behind major legal action being taken against the commonwealth for preventing local governments from enacting their own gun-safety laws. The lawsuit filed by the city and private law firms on behalf of Pennsylvanians who have been impacted by gun violence was announced at a news conference in Philadelphia today. Philadelphia Delegation Chairman Jason Dawkins and PLBC Chairman Stephen Kinsey said it was long past time for the many people who have been impacted by gun violence to receive true acknowledgement and justice for their pain. They said the delegations they lead have worked for years to enact sensible gun-safety measures in the state but have been hampered by a Republican majority legislature determined to give no one in the state the ability to reduce gun violence and save lives. “Philadelphia and municipalities across the state took action tragedy after tragedy on behalf of the residents they serve when the state would not, only to be met with callous laws specifically designed to prevent them from doing so,” Dawkins said. “I am equally tired of the hallow promises to help reduce gun violence being made by the Republican majority following each tragedy. They hold the power to move the commonsense gun safety legislation we put forward. Yet, they continue to deny Read more
HARRISBURG, Sept. 28 – Days after a Kentucky grand jury’s failure to indict one of the three police officers involved in the shooting death of Breonna Taylor on charges related to her killing, state Rep. Stephen Kinsey, chairman of the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus, along with PLBC members, said the decision is a grim reminder of how Black lives — more specifically Black women’s lives — are devalued. However, in the spirit of the esteemed PLBC’s core mission of dismantling systemic racism across the commonwealth, the caucus of legislators collectively vowed to use this pain to fuel their ongoing fight for racial justice and meaningful police reform. Kinsey, D-Phila., a father of four Black daughters, expressed that he is especially saddened. He also dissipated the attempts to vilify her memory by reflecting on Breonna’s life and her dedication to public service as a first responder on the frontlines of this pandemic. “I am a father of four Black daughters and my heart is breaking for Breonna and her family as she reflects my own girls. I see their brilliance, their strengths, and their vulnerabilities. It pains me to know that Black girls and women are denied protection and the privilege of being viewed as whole,” the chairman said. “I want to buck that narrative: Breonna was a caring young woman who had a bright future. She effortlessly juggled enjoying life and a Read more
Materials from a public hearing held jointly with the House Democratic Policy Committee in the Capitol and co-chaired by State Rep. Patty Kim. Read more
Materials from a public hearing held jointly with the House Democratic Policy Committee in the Capitol and co-chaired by State Rep. Ed Gainey. Read more
HARRISBURG, Aug. 18 –State Rep. Mike Sturla, D-Lancaster, and State Rep. Stephen Kinsey, D-Phila., announced today that the House Democratic Policy Committee and the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus will hold its fifth hearing Thursday on police reform and community solutions. Requested by state Rep. Patty Kim, D-Dauphin, HDPC Chairman Sturla and PLBC Chairman Kinsey said this hearing will focus on the Harrisburg region. The hearing will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 20 in Room G-50 Irvis Office Building in Harrisburg. The media and public are urged to watch the livestream at www.pahouse.com/live . Testifiers and members will participate in-person and remotely. Testifiers will include: Brenton Lipscomb, community activist, Black Lives Matter Kevin Dolphin, founder and CEO, Breaking the Chainz Inc. Jonathan Lee, associate professor and professor-in-charge of Criminal Justice Program, Penn State Harrisburg, School of Public Affairs Stephen Bishop, senior associate, Juvenile Justice Strategy Group at The Annie E. Casey Foundation Juan Colon, national director of Opioids and Illegal Drug Solutions, SAS Institute Following the hearing, testimony and full hearing video will be posted at www.pahouse.com/policycommittee . ### Read more
HARRISBURG, Aug. 17 – State Rep. Mike Sturla, D-Lancaster, and state Rep. Stephen Kinsey, D-Phila, announced today that the House Democratic Policy Committee and the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus will hold a fourth hearing on police reform. HDPC Chair Sturla and PLBC Chair Kinsey said the hearing will focus on the Pittsburgh region. The hearing will be held at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 19 in Room G-50 Irvis Office Building in Harrisburg. The media and public are urged to watch the livestream at www.pahouse.com/live . Testifiers will participate remotely while members participate in-person and remotely. Testifiers will include: Michelle Kenney , mother of Antwon Rose and director of the Antwon Rose II Foundation. Jasiri X , co-founder and CEO, 1Hood Media. Rose Price , community activist. Tameka Hatcher , educational outreach/police training program coordinator, Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission. Alphonse Gerhardstein , board member, National Police Accountability Project. Following the hearing, testimonies and full hearing video will be posted at www.pahouse.com/policycommittee . ### Read more
JEFFERSONVILLE, Aug. 13 – State Reps. Stephen Kinsey, D-Phila., chairman of the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus; and Joe Webster, D-Montgomery, along with PLBC members state Reps. Margo Davidson, D-Delaware, and Patty Kim, D-Dauphin, today participated in a “Free from Hate” news conference led by PA Women Rise at the West Norriton Municipal Center. The group’s “Free from Hate” platform was centered around increased demands for the ousting of Montgomery County Commissioner Joseph Gale for his comments earlier this summer referring to people involved in the Black Lives Matter movement as terrorists. To further amplify their demands, the state legislators unveiled Webster’s H.R. 920 , which would impeach Gale and which Webster introduced in response to the offensive statement. “In our quest to free our communities of hate, we must condemn actors like Commissioner Gale who used his official capacity to perpetuate hate by vilifying residents’ calls for equality and justice,” Kinsey said. “Instead of being an active agent of change in upholding those calls, Gale chose to side with the powers of oppression. His actions demonstrate his complacency with injustice, making him unfit to serve the public, and for that, Gale must be removed immediately.” Concurring with Kinsey, Webster acknowledged the solidarity among lawmakers and community members, and also Read more
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