African American Media Roundtable

African American Media Roundtable

Washington, D.C. – Today, Senate Democrats met with African American media in an on the record meeting to discuss African American engagement and involvement in political and social issues. This discussion brought together media experts, professionals, and advocates from around the country to evaluate effective engagement methods and how to best reach the African American community utilizing today’s media sources. The overarching discussion focused on the issues of healthcare, education, lowering student loan debt, and engaging African Americans in the political process.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid started by thanking all in attendance and underscored the importance of engaging with the African American community and its leaders to find solutions to issues facing the community. “We need to ensure every child in America has a chance to succeed,”said

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. “Senate Democrats are pushing to raise the minimum wage and improve gender equality; we have a strong Fair Shot for America agenda.”

“Whether they were part of a pioneering family with a long history in Alaska, part of the African American Army Engineers who built the Alaska-Canada Highway, or a new immigrant family from Sudan, African Americans are woven into the history of Alaska,” said Senator Mark Begich (D-AK) Chairman of the Democratic Steering and Outreach Committee. “Most people don’t realize that the most recent census data determined that Anchorage’s Mountain View neighborhood is the most diverse in the nation and the Alaska media does a great job covering a broad range of issues. However, we must make sure we do better to reach out to diverse audiences and that their interests and concerns are reflected in the broader media coverage.”

The meeting concluded with a closing call to action statement. “The political strength in the African American community is powerful, but that power must be tapped more than every four years for a presidential election. Change does not come from Washington, it comes to Washington,” said Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ)

Senator Booker reminded the African American media outlets in attendance that bettering the community is an all hands on deck effort. Continued outreach and engagement of African American communities is a commitment of the Democratic Party.

Photos from the event can be found HERE.

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