Biden taking new steps to address racial inequality in govt

President Joe Biden is set to order the federal government to do more to address racial inequality. Biden’s directive comes Thursday as the challenges and complexities of systemic racism are again drawing the public’s attention. Last month, Tyre Nichols, a Black man, died several days after he was severely beaten by five police officers following a traffic stop in Memphis, Tennessee. Nichols was one of several Black men across the United States who died after encounters with police recently. The problem also extends to racial disparities in wealth, housing, crime and education that reflect decades of discriminatory policies. Biden, on his first day in office, signed an executive order that recognized these long-standing disparities and pledged that the government would act to remedy them. On Thursday, during Black History Month, Biden was signing an updated order requiring that the initial review he called for in January 2021 become an annual requirement for federal agencies. The reviews are aimed at increasing access to federal programs, services and activities for disadvantaged communities. The new order also directs federal agencies to have equity teams and name senior leaders who would be accountable for increasing equity and addressing bias.