President Biden Kicks Off ‘The Root’ Institute 2021

Today (Sept. 21), President Biden provided pre-recorded virtual remarks at The Root Institute 2021, an annual conference presented by The Root to help set and empower the agenda for Black America’s future.

The Root Institute provides a much-needed forum where the Black community can question the status quo, discern where the truth resides, and share alternative points of view that align more closely to reality than most mainstream conversations would currently have us believe.

Featured thought leaders, activists, and artists include Yara Shahidi, Tarana Burke, LaTosha Brown, Bakari Sellers, Tressie McMillan Cottom, Brittney Cooper, Michael Harriot, Brittany Packnett Cunningham and so many more.

During the President’s remarks, he emphasized that Black culture is American culture and Black stories are at the core of the ongoing story of America.

He also outlined the Biden-Harris Administration’s whole-of-government approach to advance racial equity and support for Black families across the nation.

“On day one, I issued an Executive Order to instill equity and racial justice in every policy we pursue across the government,” President Biden said. “We’ve built the most diverse cabinet in history and I’ve nominated Black judges to the federal judiciary at a record-setting pace. Through the American Rescue Plan, we’re reducing Black poverty in America by 38% and cutting child poverty nearly in half this year alone — investing in Black families and communities to build wealth across the generations and support the growth of Black-owned small businesses. We’re delivering more than $4 billion to our HBCUs and putting us on a path to eliminate every lead service line in the country and deliver clean water to every American home and school. As we pursue landmark efforts to invest in our hard infrastructure and human infrastructure, create millions of good-paying jobs, take on the existential threat of climate change, and protect the sacred right to vote, we are going to ensure that Black Americans are always fully dealt in.”

Watch the President’s full remarks here.