Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Conference Puts Emphasis on Vision
Pictured above: Monica Garrison from Black Girls Do Bike with Transform’s Abibat Rahman-Davies.
From September 11-15, I attended the 53rd Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (CBCF) Annual Legislative Conference. The conference “is the leading public policy convening focused on issues impacting African Americans and the global Black community… and is a unique platform where thought leaders, legislators, influencers, and concerned citizens converge to discuss and address critical issues, forge partnerships, and promote the political, economic, and social advancement of Black communities.”
From vision to victory
This year’s conference theme was “From Vision to Victory,” and many speakers focused on how we can go from conversation to action. The conference offered many different panels, workshops, and events on a variety of topics. I attended several types of policy workshops, including transportation, music, our judiciary system, and energy.
Some of the workshops I attended included the CBCF Transportation Braintrust led by Rep. Andre Carson of Indiana, a member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg made special opening remarks.


Equitable, sustainable transportation
One of my favorite panels was “Mobilizing Equity: Advancing Sustainable Transportation in Black Communities,” led by the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation. The session included active transportation advocates such as Monica Garrison from Black Girls Do Bike, Shana Baker, Deputy Administrator of the Federal Highway Administration, and Professor Celeste Chavis, Chair and Professor of Transportation & Urban Infrastructure Studies at Morgan State University.
I absorbed and learned a lot. Both transportation panels shared a lot of the same themes, centered around community, equity, and climate change. Some of the most impactful statements I heard included:
- Community trust is important and meaningful, and public involvement and engagement is critical to that.
- Having community is what builds community.
- We need to focus on all people who use transportation, not just 9-5 commuters.
- Climate change and transportation policy are not separate. If we want to solve our climate crisis, we must focus on transportation.
- We need to put the “e” (equity) in transportation, and that equity must be more than just a word we are using.
Aligning with Transform’s mission
While I was heartened to see these values being shared at the federal level, I was even more heartened to know that all of these themes and statements are things that Transform is already implementing and has been working on since our inception. It’s another demonstration of how Transform is truly ahead of the game and a leader when it comes to climate, transportation, and equity.
Lastly, I got to visit the office of Congressman Hank Johnson of Georgia. That was one of my old stomping grounds when I worked in D.C. As a member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure in his office, I got to work on transportation-related bills such as the Stronger Communities Through Better Transit Act, which would help fund transit.