“Victory is in the details,” he said.
Rep. Albert R. Wynn of Maryland explained that achieving equality was not just “about civil rights but also economic rights” and called for the creation of more jobs for blacks.
Wynn said that business creation required more research dollars going to historically black colleges.
Rep. Donna Christian-Christensen of the Virgin Islands, who is noted for being the first female physician in the U.S. Congress, noted a number of disparities in health care.
“Our communities are bleeding,” she said, pointing to the lower life expectancy of black babies as an example and noting that a recent Congressional health care report downplayed such deficiencies.
A question and answer session followed the panel.
—Staff writer Margaret W. Ho can be reached at mwho@fas.harvard.edu.