Editor’s note: The following article is an op-ed, and the views expressed are the author’s own. Read more opinions on theGrio
In 2020, when he was officially declared as the next president of the United States, Joe Biden sent a clear message to Black America: I have your back.
Now, with less than two weeks to go until Inauguration Day, President Biden still has the opportunity to cement his progressive legacy, and deliver on three critical promises he made to our community.
First, clemency.
Last month’s historic announcement from the White House — commuting nearly every federal death row inmate — was welcomed news for the holidays, bringing justice and healing to countless families across the country. Unlike the final days of Trump’s first term — where Trump oversaw an expedited “spree of executions” — President Biden is prioritizing true justice.
However, while these actions are significant on a number of levels, these actions alone are not enough to address the centuries of injustice and mass incarceration that Black communities have had to live with.
Right now, Black people make up about 14% of the total population but account for 39% of those in federal prison.
Granting clemency to those serving sentences that would be much shorter if they were sentenced today must be a top priority for the president. For instance, although the current Department of Justice has ended the widely condemned crack vs. powder cocaine sentencing disparity, far too many Black Americans who were sentenced before the policy changed remain incarcerated. Additionally, many people whose sentences would have been reduced if the First Step Act were made fully retroactive remain behind bars. And still, many others remain ineligible for consideration for compassionate release simply because they were sentenced before November 1987 under the “old law.” The majority of these individuals have likely spent decades behind bars and many are nearing or past the age of retirement.
President Biden wouldn’t be starting from scratch on consideration of clemency petitions. By prioritizing taking action on the more than 7,000 applications that the NAACP has advocated for and that have been vetted and recommended by the Office of the Pardon Attorney, President Biden can move forward to give people second chances and prioritize public safety.
Clemency is about so much more than pardoning any individual. It’s about strengthening communities and reuniting families.
Next, student debt.
In his final weeks in office, President Biden has also prioritized economic justice by resuming rounds of student debt cancellation.
Today, millions of student debt borrowers are now debt-free or hold a lot less debt thanks to President Biden’s executive actions of the past four years. But it cannot stop now.
In less than 14 days, Trump will be sworn in. Once his tariffs kick in, prices will go up — and, per usual, Black Americans will disproportionately feel the financial squeeze between out-of-control interest on their student debt and the rising cost of essentials.
Already, Black households in the United States hold, on average, ten times less wealth than white households. This racial wealth gap is not merely a relic of America’s racist past, but the outcome of ongoing systemic racism. Today, Black Americans still earn 30% less on average than white Americans.
On top of that, data showed that four years after graduating, Black graduates owe an average of 188% more in student loan repayments than white graduates.
That’s why the NAACP mobilized hundreds of thousands around this cause. We urged President Biden to take action — and he did by canceling more than $180 billion in student debt, despite opposition from right-wing forces. We worked with the Department of Education to roll out critical programs and postpone repayment after the pandemic.
Ultimately, education should be the key to financial freedom, not the barrier. And we firmly believe that, in America, everyone should have equitable access to education.
Now, with just weeks left, President Biden has the opportunity to minimize the financial hardships that so many Americans will feel under Donald Trump by alleviating — or canceling altogether — the burden of student debt.
That begins by firing MOHELA, one of America’s largest holders and services of student loans. MOHELA has gotten in the way of President Biden’s SAVE plan, which could help millions of borrowers.
By instructing the Department of Education to fire MOHELA, President Biden can resume actions on student debt relief.
Lastly, police accountability.
For too long, Black Americans have been the victims of senseless police violence.
In 2022, with the stroke of a pen, President Biden signed an executive order in honor of George Floyd that created a public database of police misconduct. Since the beginning of his administration, the Department of Justice has also opened more than a dozen pattern-or-practice investigations of systemic misconduct with law enforcement agencies.
We are urging President Biden to include the findings of those investigations in the public database, delivering on his promise to bring about more transparency and accountability in policing.
The president’s database and necessary investigations into law enforcement will serve as a model for local and state law enforcement agencies.
Together, these three actions will get us closer to a more perfect union, and ensure a freer and safer America for all.
President Biden, we urge you to take action before it is too late. With less than two weeks left of your presidency, you have the opportunity to make a meaningful difference in the lives of millions — and to do so before Donald Trump steps back into the White House.
Mr. President, the time is now.
Derrick Johnson is the national president and CEO of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).