by Lori Lakin Hutcherson (@lakinhutcherson)
The Congressional Black Caucus, for the first time in its 48-year history, has more than 50 members. At today’s swearing in ceremony the total was 55 members, nbcnews.com reports.
Rep. Karen Bass, D-Calif, was elected CBC chair, and according to her website, the Caucus will also chair five full House Committees in addition to 28 House Subcommittees.
The caucus includes elected officials from both the House and Senate, and since its establishment in 1971, the CBC has been committed to using the full Constitutional power, statutory authority, and financial resources of the federal government to ensure that African Americans and other marginalized communities in the United States have the opportunity to achieve the American Dream.
As part of this commitment, the CBC has fought to address critical issues such as voting rights, criminal justice reform, equal access to quality education.
55 members of the Congressional Black Caucus being sworn in today. The largest in history! #tdih#116thCongress @OfficialCBC pic.twitter.com/CnlcAvqGuw
— The Crisis Magazine (@thecrisismag) January 3, 2019
To learn more about the Congressional Black Caucus, go to: https://cbc.house.gov.