Two weeks ago, we broke down how the coronavirus relief bill signed by President Biden, otherwise known as the American Rescue Plan, will benefit the Latino community. Since then, the Biden Administration has announced the American Jobs Plan, a $2.7 trillion investment into the country’s infrastructure and workforce. Despite being the wealthiest country in the world, the United States ranks 13th in overall quality of infrastructure. The plan aims to create millions of new jobs, rebuild the country’s roads, bridges, water systems, electric grids, among many others, and reposition the United States to be able to out-compete China. Today, we take a look at how the American Jobs Plan will help the Latino community and advance racial equity among communities of color.
For generations, the consequences of disinvestment in the country’s infrastructure has fallen most heavily on communities of color, who are also disproportionately disadvantaged by pollution and the climate crisis. The American Jobs Plan seeks to tackle these disparities, with a special emphasis on a generational investment in racial justice. Here’s how:
Make generational investments in climate justice
- Deliver 40 percent of the benefits of climate and infrastructure investments in underserved communities.
- Eliminate all lead pipes across the nation to safeguard the health and safety of families of color.
- Safeguard communities of color from climate crises and extreme weather risks.
- Invest in clean energy to advance climate justice and mitigate the disparate impacts of pollution on communities of color.
Advance racial justice through America’s transportation system
- Build a more equitable transportation infrastructure and public systems.
- Make historic investments in addressing residential segregation caused by decades of failed federal infrastructure investments.
Expand job opportunities for communities of color
- Invest in equitable workforce development and job training programs.
- Target workforce development opportunities in underserved communities.
- Bridge the digital divide by achieving 100 percent coverage of high-speed broadband.
- Protect the health, safety, and rights workers of color.
- Support returning citizens in accessing employment.
- Ensure communities of color can excel in jobs in the technologies of the future.
- Empower workers of color.
- Eliminate racial and gender inequities in research and development and science, technology, engineering, and math.
- Ensure that minority-owned manufacturers thrive.
- Invest in evidence-based community violence interventions that reduce violence and promote employment and economic development.
- Create a new Community Revitalization Fund to support innovative, community-led redevelopment projects.
- Help Black and Brown-owned small businesses access capital and scale through over $30 billion in investments.
Deliver racial equity through critical housing investments
- Deliver affordable housing to communities of color who are most burdened by the affordable housing crisis.
- Address the racial gap in homeownership.
- Mitigate exclusionary zoning policies that entrench residential segregation.
Invest in educational equity
- Eliminate inequitable school infrastructure conditions.
- Upgrade and build new child care facilities to support equity in early childhood experiences.
- Invest in community college infrastructure to support students of color and rural students.
Build a care economy that advances racial justice
- Invest in caregivers, who are disproportionately women of color.
- Address racial disparities in access to home- and community-based care.
For an in-depth look at the American Jobs Plan, check out this fact sheet.
Photo: Denys Nevozhai/Unsplash