Opening Statement by Lenita Jacobs-Simmons, U.S. Department of Labor, at CERD
Opening Statement by Lenita Jacobs-Simmons, Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Employment and Training Administration, U.S. Department of Labor at the U.S. Presentation to the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination concerning the U.S. Report on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD Report)
As Submitted for the Record
[Madame] Chairperson, Members of the Committee, and representatives of civil society:
My name is Lenita Jacobs-Simmons and I am the Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Employment and Training Administration at the U.S. Department of Labor.
Advancing equity is a priority for the Department and we are committed to addressing racial inequities, which have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Department recognizes that improving working conditions and economic opportunities for people of color is vital for combatting pervasive racial inequities in our country. We are working to do so by:
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- broadening the equity impacts of our grantmaking;
- understanding—and improving—the equity data we collect;
- centering underserved communities in rulemaking processes;
- building stronger partnerships with community-based organizations; and
- holding ourselves accountable for results.
As someone who has personally experienced racial discrimination, I am proud to be a part of the Department of Labor’s efforts to counter this systemic problem.
I now turn it over to my colleague from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Raymond Peeler.
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