The scale and scope of President Joe Biden
In recent months, op-ed after op-ed has argued that Biden’s approach to tackling the crisis we face resembles President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s New Deal. And it’s easy to understand why he would follow FDR’s lead.
But for Black Americans, the New Deal fell short. Yes, it provided millions with a minimum wage, but if you toiled away on a field or worked long hours cleaning a home, you were out of luck. And when you retired? Social Security wouldn’t be there for you either — not because you contributed any less to our country, but because the program was designed to exclude industries that disproportionately employed Black Americans.