Forward Together: The Black Policy Playbook for an Equitable America
2026 Addendum
Forward Together: The Black Policy Playbook for an Equitable America was created in 2025 to provide evidence-based policy recommendations for advancing equity and opportunity for Black Americans. Developed by the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation and the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, the Playbook brought together research, policy expertise, and the perspectives of organizations committed to strengthening Black communities across the United States. Its purpose was—and remains—to provide a resource for policymakers to collaborate with researchers, advocates, and community organizations in developing solutions that promote equity and justice.
Since the Playbook’s release in 2025, the policy landscape has changed substantially. Some of the policies and investments that offered opportunities to reduce longstanding disparities have been weakened, reversed, or placed at risk, while new laws, executive actions, court decisions, and state policies have created new challenges. In addition, emerging issues—including the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence, changes in the digital economy, new threats to voting access, the growing consequences of immigration enforcement, and the continuing effects of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act—have made clear that the work of advancing equity must continually evolve. The disparities documented in the original Playbook have not disappeared; in many cases, they have been intensified by these changes.
This addendum is the product of that recognition. We are grateful to the leading civil rights and policy organizations that contributed their expertise to this update and helped identify where the original agenda must be strengthened, revised, or expanded. Together, these organizations have examined what has changed since the Playbook’s publication and what those changes mean for Black communities today. Their contributions demonstrate both the urgency of this moment and the continued importance of collective action.
Report Authors
We are grateful to all the authors who helped in the creation of this policy agenda addendum, including:
- Dedrick Asante-Muhammad, Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies
- Nikitra Bailey, National Fair Housing Alliance
- Louis Bedford, Legal Defense Fund
- Rahel Boghossian, ACLU
- Danielle A. (Davis) Canty, Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies
- Jonathan M. Cox, Congressional Black Caucus Foundation
- Kim Conway, ACLU
- Haddy Gassama, ACLU
- Steven Hawkins, Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies
- Ashley Harrington, Legal Defense Fund
- LaTreshia Hamilton, Legal Defense Fund
- Jina John, ACLU
- Chelsea Jones, Brennan Center for Justice
- Virginia Kase Solomón, Common Cause
- Victoria Kirby York, National Black Justice Collective
- Diana Konaté, African Communities Together
- Hamida Labi, Legal Defense Fund
- Lisa Merdoc, National Fair Housing Alliance
- Preston Mitchum, Common Cause
- Nicole Ndumele, ACLU
- LaToya B. Parker, Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies
- Nina Patel, ACLU
- Lauren Pearlman, Congressional Black Caucus Foundation
- Lisa Rice, National Fair Housing Alliance
- Krissy Roth, Legal Defense Fund
- Amalea Smirniotopoulos, Legal Defense Fund
- Lakeisha Steele, Fair Vote
- Ja’Lia Taylor, National Council of Negro Women
- Astou Thiane, UndocuBlack Network
- Sateria Venable, The Fibroid Foundation
- David Wheaton, Legal Defense Fund
- Brenda Wright, Legal Defense Fund
- Rayna Young, Congressional Black Caucus Foundation
Special Thanks
- Erika Brown, Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies
- Daniel Ikem, Congressional Black Caucus Foundation
- Anthony Nicome, Congressional Black Caucus Foundation
- Ashley Stone, Congressional Black Caucus Foundation
About the Organizations Producing this Report
For 50 years, the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation has provided thought leadership on issues that are of pressing importance to Black communities, in support of its mission to advance the global Black population. An integral part of this mission is advanced through the work of its Center for Policy Analysis and Research, which has helped actualize the founding purpose of the Foundation to serve as a think tank to support the legislative efforts of the Congressional Black Caucus. By engaging in substantive, collaborative partnerships with stakeholder organizations, the Center for Policy Analysis and Research generates impactful research and policy recommendations that advance equity and equality for people of African descent across a range of issue areas, including public health, education, economic advancement, voting rights, criminal justice, technology, and more.
Since its founding in 1970, the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies has evolved into America’s Black think tank, serving as a hub of policy for government officials and public intellectuals focused on positive change for Black American communities. The Joint Center identifies opportunities to remove structural barriers for Black Americans through engaging in research and analysis on economic policy, job quality, tax policy technology policy, workforce development, and the state of congressional staff diversity. With an emphasis on high-quality data and analysis, and through ongoing partnerships with community members, advocates and civil rights organizations, industry leaders, academics, and government officials, the Joint Center provides relevant, accessible solutions that prioritize impact for Black communities and more.
Acknowledgements
The CBCF and the Joint Center collaborated with several organizations with topical expertise to produce this addendum, including: American Civil Liberties Union, African Communities Together, Brennan Center for Justice, Common Cause, Fair Vote, Fibroid Foundation, National Black Justice Collective, National Council of Negro Women, National Fair Housing Alliance, the Legal Defense Fund, UndocuBlack Network.
These organizations, among others, are poised to provide expert insight and analysis on how these issues affect Black Americans. Their support demonstrates the value of this policy agenda and clearly communicates the pressing nature of addressing these inequities for Black communities.