The Congressional Black Caucus was established in 1971 to ensure equal rights and opportunity for Black Americans and to promote the full engagement of Black Americans in Congress. Elected Chair in January 2023, Chairman Horsford shared his vision for the Congressional Black Caucus in the 118th Congress.

“We are using the ingenuity, the experience, the education of our members to make sure that we win — that we win for our constituents, that we win in our districts, that we win the week, we win the month, we win the year, and then we win for the American people. That is the vision for the Congressional Black Caucus,” explained Chairman Horsford.

One of the longstanding issues the Congressional Black Caucus has fought to address is the culture of policing. Following President Biden’s impassioned call for police reform in his 2023 State of the Union address and the violent death of Tyre Nichols at the hands of 5 Memphis police officers, the two discussed the importance of public safety and police accountability.

“What we have said as a Congressional Black Caucus is all of our communities should be safe,” said Chairman Horsford. “Public safety is important to all of us. And accountability should be in place for those who violate the public good in their roles especially in law enforcement.”

Congressman Clyburn agreed, noting, “Tyre Nichols died at the hands of five Black police officers. We are not in this battle because of a racial issue. We are in this battle because of an issue of accountability. And we believe strongly that accountability ought to be a watchword for all police officers.”

Listen to the full episode here.