The $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan, passed by both houses of Congress and signed by President Biden, is a watershed moment. That such legislation has become law — that our federal government acted decisively with a bill targeted to aid low- and middle-income families — evokes equal parts inspiration and relief in its radical departure from previous trickle-down approaches that have increased inequality and racial injustice.
The Rescue Plan is a desperately needed life preserver for countless Americans, but what does it mean to be pulled from treacherous waters onto a leaking ship? As the end of the pandemic appears on the horizon and the federal government, states and localities rightfully deploy their fiscal resources to move the country forward, we must ensure that the society we return to isn’t the same inequitable and unjust outcomes we left in 2019.
A Racial Equity Stimulus framework on the order of $10-12 trillion is what’s needed to properly tackle the structures of white supremacy built into our society, and the Rescue Plan proves two things: one, that far-reaching reforms can be made a reality; and two, that such reforms are widely popular with the American people.
The history of the United States is punctuated by transformative moments led by visionary acts of government: Reconstruction, the New Deal, the Great Society. These moments weren’t brought forth by unique, superhuman officials. They may be catalyzed by a crisis, but they are shaped by organizing and demanding change, and policymakers willing to rise to the occasion. In addition to the past year’s historic mass racial justice mobilizations, mutual aid and elections, the passage of the Rescue Plan is yet more evidence that we find ourselves in just such a transformative moment. What we must do now is CONTINUE READING: The American Rescue Plan: A First Deposit Toward a Racial Equity Stimulus | Schott Foundation for Public Education