00:00I said from the very start, we're in a battle for the soul of this nation.
00:12The character of the country is on the ballot, and lives and livelihoods are as well.
00:19For too long, the deck has been stacked against black Americans.
00:22Homes undervalued, schools underfunded, justice denied, and a poverty rate still
00:28twice what it is for white Americans.
00:31Homeownership is the key to financial stability and building generational wealth.
00:35But today, the gap between African American and white homeownership is larger than it was in the 1960s.
00:44And now this pandemic is amplifying our worst inequities.
00:48African Americans are contracting and dying from COVID at a much higher rate than white Americans.
00:54They're less likely to have access to health care and health insurance.
00:57More likely to be exposed to air pollution, tied to what makes COVID worse.
01:03Black workers disproportionately hold low-wage jobs without benefits, and industries seeing the worst layoffs today.
01:11And as we rebuild, experts predict that a disproportionate number of minority-owned businesses
01:17won't get any stimulus loans at all.
01:19That has to be a wake-up call for our nation.
01:23And a call to action.
01:24It's past time to fully confront systemic racism.
01:29To end our growing economic inequity.
01:30To deal with the denial of our nation's promise for so many for so long.
01:36As president, I'll fight every day to lead these changes, and I'll listen.
01:41We cannot know today what the state of the COVID-19 pandemic will be in next January.
01:46But it almost certainly won't be over.
01:49And I will immediately, one, appoint a supply commander, a senior official with broad authority and deep logistical experience
01:57to set up and take command of a supply chain for the critical equipment and work with governors to meet front-line medical workers' needs.
02:06I will make COVID-19 vaccine free for everyone.
02:10And I'll lead a just and equitable recovery to rebuild a strong, inclusive middle class that deals in everyone this time.
02:19I'll urge Congress to immediately pass real police reform, creating a model use-of-force standard and holding police accountable.
02:26Then, in the first 100 days of my presence, I will create a national police oversight commission with civil rights leaders, police officials, police chiefs, and criminal justice experts.
02:37Get more police departments in the country to fully review their hiring, training, and de-escalation practices.
02:43Direct the Justice Department of the United States to investigate systemic police misconduct and force reform.
02:50But this work demands not just 100 days, but a whole administration.
02:56I'll invest in shifting our criminal justice from incarceration to prevention, ending cash bail, diverting drug offenders to rehabilitation, and invest more in re-entry.
03:08I'll fight to end the deadly inequities faced especially by black women that COVID has amplified.
03:14I'll expand Obamacare with a public option.
03:18The fastest way to a universal care.
03:21I'll double funding for community health centers for those on the vital front lines.
03:26I'll fight to give every child the same strong start in life.
03:30Provide universal pre-K.
03:32Triple title one funding to close the gap between rich and poor schools.
03:37Make public college free for any family earning less than $125,000 a year.
03:42My plan for the African-American community will close the wealth and income gaps by investing in African-American home ownership,
03:50including a $15,000 first-time homebuyer tax credit, doubling funding for small state business credit initiatives,
03:58drawing billions in private capital to black-owned businesses, boosting support for mission-driven lenders to low-income communities,
04:08expand the new market tax credit and investing in communities that most need it,
04:13and fight along black workers for equal pay, labor rights, and a safe workplace.
04:18Nothing about this fight will be easy.
04:22It's going to take leadership at the highest levels of our government
04:25and sustained, sustained grassroots pressure from every American who can no longer just stand silently by.
04:33American history isn't a fairy tale.
04:36We've never lived up to our founding promise of equality for all,
04:40but we've never stopped trying until this president.
04:42Look, no child's future should be determined by its zip code, income, or race.
04:57You know, we can't lead the 21st century.
05:00We don't give every student a strong foundation for the future.
05:04As president, I'll invest in our children from birth through high school and beyond.
05:09I'll offer universal pre-K so every child gets the same strong start in life.
05:14Triple funding for Title I schools and close the gap between rich and poor districts.
05:20And I'll boost teacher pay and expand the pipeline of teachers of color into schools.
05:26Kids are more likely to stay in school if they see someone like themselves in the classroom.
05:31That's why I'll invest $5 billion in graduate teaching programs at HBCUs and minority-serving institutions.
05:40Fix the public service loan forgiveness program to help teachers pay off their student debt.
05:45Fund dual enrollment high school programs and training aspiring teachers early.
05:50I've been very clear about my intention to pick a woman as a running man.
06:01What matters most is the relationship I'll have with that person and her ability to govern.
06:07The task before the administration will be huge.
06:10There's many tasks.
06:11And I'll need a partner to help me tackle them.
06:13But it doesn't stop at the top.
06:15The Obama-Biden administration issued an important executive order
06:19to promote diversity and inclusion all across the federal government.
06:25I'll reissue it and mandate strict compliance.
06:28I'll rebuild the pipeline of federal workers.
06:32And I'll draw more people into public service by fixing our public service student loan forgiveness program.
06:37Forgiving $10,000 a year in student debt for five years.
06:41I'll invest in new career pipelines for HBCUs to federal agencies.
06:47Make sure we boost training and mentoring.
06:50Collect data and increase transparency about hiring and promotions.
06:54This country is full of committed, smart, courageous people of all backgrounds.
06:59Eager to serve their country.
07:01And do something beyond themselves.
07:03I'm ready and they're ready.
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