Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke Backs Resolution Affirming Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility

WASHINGTON, DC – Amid United States President Donald J. Trump’s mass deportation and other unsettling policies, Caribbean-American Democratic Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke has joined six major Congressional Caucuses in introducing a joint resolution in the US House of Representatives affirming that diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility (DEIA) are fundamental to the American Dream and to the nation’s prosperity, safety and democracy.

The Congressional Caucuses that introduced the resolution on Thursday were the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC), the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), the Congressional Equality Caucus (CEC), the Democratic Women’s Caucus (DWC), and the Congressional Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Caucus (DEIC).  

Clarke, the daughter of Jamaican immigrants, who represents the 9th Congressional District in Brooklyn, New York, told the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) on Saturday that the resolution came in response to “growing attacks on diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility programs and policies across the country.”

Clarke, who also chairs the CBC, said the resolution calls on “all levels of government, educational institutions, workplaces, and other organisations to uphold and promote inclusivity, remove barriers to opportunity, and ensure equal access to services and resources.

“Diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility policies are designed to open doors for all Americans—including white women, veterans, and older adults—not just the Black, Brown, and minority communities that Donald Trump and Republicans routinely scapegoat for political gain,” she said.

“Instead of working to lower the rising cost of living that is hurting families across the country, Trump and Republicans in Congress are doubling down on a divisive, racist, anti-diversity agenda,” she added. “They’ve chosen fear and polarisation over real solutions—ignoring the simple truth: in a zero-sum game, we all lose.

“These hateful attacks on diversity and inclusion aren’t just misguided; they’re morally reprehensible,” Clarke continued. “For too long, too many communities have been shut out of opportunities in employment, health care, and education, due to an enduring legacy of racial bias, bigotry, and discrimination.

“As elected officials, we have a responsibility to break down those barriers—and build a future where everyone has a fair shot,” the congresswoman added.

Congressman Adriano Espaillat, the Dominican Republic-born representative for New York’s 13th Congressional District in Harlem, said that diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility efforts are “about making sure our society gives everyone a fair shot.

“There is nothing more un-American than opposing a fair shot for everyone,” said the CHC chair. “This administration’s attacks against DEIA efforts betray a twisted worldview.

“They act as if to succeed others must fail, that wealth is mundane without poverty, and that opportunity is pointless without exclusion,” Espaillat added. “We as Americans – as human beings – know better. A fairer, stronger society is not only possible but necessary. We will not let this administration take it away from us.”

Congressman Jonathan L. Jackson, representative for Illinois’s 1st Congressional District and founder of DEIC, said: “Diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility are more than just ideals; they are the lived experiences of millions of Americans.

“We legislate them, and we must protect them,” he said. “These principles are rooted in the unfinished promises of our Constitution and the ongoing pursuit of a more perfect union.”

Jackson said as Americans and immigrants face “coordinated attacks on DEIA from those who fear progress, we affirm that America’s strength lies in its pluralism.

“We will not be intimidated,” he affirmed. “We will keep fighting to tear down barriers, correct generational injustices, and build a nation where opportunity is truly equal for all.”

Clarke said the resolution “highlights that diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility efforts are not about preferential treatment or quotas, but about ensuring fairness and access for all, especially communities that have long faced systemic discrimination in education, healthcare, housing, employment, and other critical areas.”

Among leading civil rights and advocacy organizations endorsing the resolution are the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Legal Defense Fund and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF); National Urban League; National Women’s Law Center Action Fund; National Partnership for Women and Families; The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights; Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law; America Pride Rises; Southern Poverty Law Center; American Association of University Women; and The Education Trust.