African American Task Force to meet Aug. 26

The African American Task force will hold its first meeting Wednesday, Aug. 26, to study inequities within socioeconomically marginalized African American communities in Delaware. 

Originally proposed by the Delaware Legislative Black Caucus, the task force was formally established in the fiscal year 2021 Grant-in-Aid bill. 

The task force will examine and report on inequities in education, healthcare, housing, economic opportunities, voting rights, environmental justice, community violence, and criminal justice. 

"Everyone involved with the African American Task Force is culturally competent and brings different perspectives to the table, and I am eager to get to work," said Rep. Stephanie T. Bolden, D-Wilmington, who co-chairs the task force. "The sad reality is that Black Americans continue to have unequal life experiences – and that needs to change. We must resolve to fix these inequalities in Delaware, and this task force is committed to producing positive change." 

The task force is scheduled to hold its first virtual meeting at 10 a.m., Wednesday, Aug. 26. The meeting will be livestreamed on the General Assembly’s YouTube channel. 

Citizens can offer comments during the public comment portion of the meeting or in advance via email to AfricanAmericanTaskForce@delaware.gov. Anyone who wants to provide public comment during the meeting must register in advance to join the Zoom conference. 

Members of the task force are:

• Cleon L. Cauly
• Rep. Stephanie T. Bolden, D-Wilmington
• Raye Jones-Avery
• Cimone Philpotts
• Vincent Oliver
• Richard Smith
• Spencer Price
• Anas Ben Addi
• Wendy Henry
• John Stevenson
• Kimberly Chandler
• Shawn M. Garvin
• Department of Labor Secretary Cerron Cade
• Keith Hunt
• Cassandra Codes-Johnson
• Larry Austin
• Jane Hovington
• Carmen Jordan-Cox
• Attorney General Kathleen Jennings
• Rep. Melissa Minor-Brown, D-Pennwood.
• Rep. Franklin D. Cooke, D-New Castle
• Rep. Kendra Johnson, D-New Castle
• Rep. Sherry Dorsey Walker, D-Wilmington
• Rep. Nnamdi O. Chukwuocha, D-Wilmington
• Rep. Kevin S. Hensley, R-Townsend
• Sen. S. Elizabeth Lockman, D-Wilmington
• Sen. Darius J. Brown, D-Wilmington

The task force also will form four subcommittees to make recommendations to the General Assembly:

• The Economic Opportunity Subcommittee to study business and economic development, community empowerment, and education reform 
• The Health & Welfare Subcommittee to study, among other topics, healthcare inequities including mental health 
• The Safety & Justice Subcommittee to study criminal justice and community violence 
• The Infrastructure & Environment Subcommittee to study housing and environmental justice.