Jamaica-linked Clarke to run for chairmanship of Congressional Black Caucus

Congresswoman Yvette Clarke has decided to run to become the next chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus. Should she win, she will become the 29th chair of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC).

Clarke, whose parents are Jamaicans, is currently first vice-chair of the caucus and has long been considered the heir apparent for the job and would be assuming the position from Rep Steven Horsford.

She has been a member of the House of Representatives since 2007, representing New York’s 9th Congressional District, which is located entirely in Brooklyn.

Clarke has been in politics since she was elected to the New York City Council in 2001, representing the 40th District. In Congress, she serves on the House Committees on Homeland Security and on Energy and Commerce.

It is currently unclear whether she will run opposed when the CBC holds its elections in the coming days.

Founded in 1971 with 13 members, the Congressional Black Caucus has grown to include 60 members in the House and Senate. Among the founding members was the late Texas Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, whose grandparents were Jamaicans.

Staring down the barrel of a Republican trifecta in Washington, where the GOP will have another razor-thin majority in the House, the caucus once again has the potential to wield massive influence, representing a large block of Democratic votes in the House.

The caucus’s influence was clear over the summer when President Joe Biden’s re-election campaign was in limbo, and there were reports that support for him was slipping in the CBC behind the scenes. The CBC also made waves earlier this year after it played a hand in blocking the American Privacy Rights Act after language that would enforce civil rights protections was removed from the bill.

“We must remain vigilant in fulfilling our mission to deliver on our promises and uplift our community. If you grant me the opportunity to lead, I will ensure our goals are reached as a caucus,” Clarke said in a message sent to fellow CBC members on Tuesday.

Clarke is positioned to lead the caucus at a moment when more privacy legislation is expected to come before Congress. The congresswoman is a member of the House’s bipartisan task force on artificial intelligence and was one of the earliest Congress members to sound the alarm about the potential harms associated with artificial intelligence (AI).

She has introduced legislation that would prohibit the use of facial and biometric recognition technology in public housing, legislation that would ensure that companies that use AI software to make high-impact decisions are screened for bias and a bill that would require deep fakes to be watermarked.

“If you grant me the opportunity to lead, I will ensure our goals are reached as a caucus,” she said in a message to CBC members.

“I’m thrilled to support Rep Clarke for CBC chair,” said Rep Bonnie Watson Coleman, who represents New Jersey’s 12th congressional district. “She’s not only a tremendous colleague, but a dear friend. I value her partnership on the Caucus on Black Women and Girls deeply and have had the opportunity to see her dedication to that work up close for several years now. I know she will be an incredible Chair and will be a steady hand in guiding the CBC through all the ugliness the incoming administration will bring out.”

editorial@gleanerjm.com