President Biden Can’t Forget About Black Millennials

During the disrespectfully long Election Week (no shade to the Election Day workers…y’all did your thing), I went through a large range of emotions. I was excited, apathetic, nervous, exasperated, and fed up. Between the pandemic, social justice uprising, and the general trials and tribulations of being a student, I was just about done. After President Biden won the election (and yes, he won the election fair and square…), I was excited for a new chapter.

But, the thing about being a Black person in America is that excitement often comes hand in hand with apathy.

It’s a protective measure. Because time and time again we have come face to face with how much and how many people see us as subhuman in this country….Yes, I am happy that we no longer have a President who openly called my ancestral home a shithole. But, to be honest, I’m nervous about the Biden Administration and the many administrations that will come after President Biden.

Why? Because we are owed so much as Black people and we have never gotten our just due.

Now, that I’m closer to my 30s than my 20s, I have started to think about what my life is going to look like as I grow older in this country of ours. I’m not going to lie…the expat life is looking pretty nice. But, for now, it’s looking like I’m calling America home for the time being.

But, what the Biden administration can’t do?

Forget about the future of Black millennials as he breaks ground over these four years.

Because what I don’t especially play with? My health.

So, here are some of President Biden’s promises that I’ve got my eye on.

Here’s looking at you, Uncle Joseph Robinette Biden and Auntie Kamala Devi Harris.

Don’t let me down, y’all.

• Reducing America’s incredibly high and incredibly unacceptable maternal mortality rate

According to the Center for Disease Control, Black women are 2.5x more likely to die from pregnancy complications than their White counterparts. We’ve heard the tragic stories of Dr. Chaneice Wallace, Dr. Shalon Irving, Amber Rose Issac, and countless others. As a Black millennial, it’s startling to think that my choice to have children could be equivalent to signing my own death certificate. According to President Biden’s campaign website, California’s new policies on this issue have helped to cut the state’s maternal death rate in half. His administration intends to take this same policy nationwide. Recently, the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act was reintroduced into Congress. To express your support for this Act, check out ways to reach out to your representatives here. Unfortunately, the Act didn’t get a ton of traction when it was first introduced. So, it’s important we make sure our voice is heard on this issue.

It’s even more important that we ensure that the Biden Administration keeps its foot on the gas when it comes to advocating for Black maternal health.

I would say “Don’t fall asleep when you are in the lead…” but, we aren’t even close to being in first place on this issue.

Foot on the gas, y’all…

• Expanding access to mental health care in the Black community

Here’s what Uncle Joe is promising to the Black community when you take a look at his campaign website, “…expanding access to mental health care….to ensure mental health parity and eliminate the stigma surrounding mental health.” So, of course, I’m all for this policy. But, I haven’t found much information on exactly how these resources will be put in place nationwide. In my circle, we seem to rely on other private organizations and companies to find mental health professionals who can speak to our issues (hey, Therapy for Black Girls, Therapy for Latinx, Zencare, etc).

Black millennials should definitely be keeping their eye out on this policy. Personally, I think we are the ones responsible for the mental health renaissance that we are seeing today. So, I’ll definitely be looking at Uncle Joe and Auntie Kamala on the national roll-out of mental health services for our communities.

• Doubling our nation’s investment in community health centers

Double! Write that down, y’all. That’s directly from President Biden’s campaign website as well. Community health centers are integral to communities of color and are more than worthy of the financial support from our federal government. If COVID-19 has shown us anything, it’s that the resources have to get to the community and be allocated strictly for the community.

Yes, I am giving a complete side-eye to the disaster of vaccine distribution that occurred in Washington Heights at the Armory.

At For Black Health, we are all about reimagining the health of our old neighborhoods so we can keep progressing. Not only for ourselves. For our parents. For our uncles. For our aunties. For our cousins. For our future families. It’s time to reinvest in the communities that have helped to raise us and our family members.

So, that’s it from me, y’all! My political commentary for the interwebs. If you are looking at the Biden-Harris administration closely on any other policies, hit us up on social media.

Want to read more about some Black physicians that have been holding us down before and during the pandemic?

Check out our article here.