Team Maryland Applauds NAACP Letter to President Biden Urging FBI Headquarters in Maryland
Today, members of Maryland’s federal, state, and local governments praised the NAACP for the letter sent by NAACP President & CEO Derrick Johnson to President Biden urging the Administration to select Prince George’s County for the future FBI headquarters in line with the President’s commitment to advancing economic opportunity and building greater equity for Black Americans. Maryland Governor Wes Moore, Lieutenant Governor Aruna Miller, U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen, Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks and Congressmen Steny H. Hoyer, Dutch Ruppersberger, John Sarbanes, Kweisi Mfume, Jamie Raskin, David Trone, and Glenn Ivey applauded the NAACP’s letter and underscored their commitment to working together to bring the FBI to Prince George’s County.
“Prince George’s County is hands-down the best choice for the new, consolidated FBI Headquarters. Not only does the County meet the mission requirements of the FBI, it also presents President Biden with the best opportunity to advance his stated equity goals and comes in at a much better price to the American taxpayers. We appreciate the NAACP’s partnership as we work to right the historic wrongs of the past and deliver more economic opportunity to our communities. Bringing the FBI to Maryland is both the right thing to do and the smart thing to do, and we’re glad to have the NAACP by our side in this effort,” said the lawmakers in a joint statement.
The letter from NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson begins, “As an organization that has long served in the vanguard of the movement to promote civil rights, create economic opportunities, and build greater equity for Black Americans and all people of color, the NAACP has been pleased to see you and your administration’s enduring commitment to advancing those same priorities. […] At a White House Black History Month reception just a few days ago, you renewed your promise to address longstanding disparities in federal investment and contracting in Black communities. Aligned with the NAACP Maryland State Conference, we seek to elevate the voices of these same communities, and that is why we ask that you consider these interests when determining the location of the FBI’s new consolidated headquarters”
“Federal facilities like the new FBI campus generate a wave of quality government jobs, contracting opportunities, and customers for local small businesses in the surrounding area. In the process, they can transform underserved Black communities for the better. Greenbelt, MD, and Landover, MD – both finalists in the FBI headquarters expansion office – are two such examples. Choosing either of these sites would ensure that your administration is doing everything that it can to achieve its equity goals,” Johnson continues.
“Your decision on where to locate the new FBI headquarters will either reduce or enlarge the disparities already affecting the National Capital Region. The NAACP strongly believes that choosing Prince George’s County as the FBI’s new home will do the most to advance your equity agenda. Such a decision would not be charity. The Greenbelt and Landover sites both meet and exceed the FBI’s operational and security needs. Additionally, the county has a diverse and highly-skilled workforce that would enhance the FBI’s ability to execute its mission. Indeed, our government – and its facilities – should reflect the diversity of the American people that it serves,” the letter urges.
Johnson writes in closing, “The NAACP will continue to stand proudly with your administration to secure greater civil rights, justice, and opportunity for Black Americans. In that same spirit, we hope that you will stand with us on this matter. Thank you for considering these perspectives.
The full text of the letter is available here and below.
Dear Mr. President:
As an organization that has long served in the vanguard of the movement to promote civil rights, create economic opportunities, and build greater equity for Black Americans and all people of color, the NAACP has been pleased to see you and your administration’s enduring commitment to advancing those same priorities. You have made your dedication to those goals clear since the earliest days of your presidency when you issued multiple executive orders on equity and appointed the most diverse cabinet in our nation’s history. Coordinating with lawmakers in Congress and organizations like our own, your administration also ensured that equity was central to recent legislative breakthroughs on pandemic relief, infrastructure, manufacturing, health care, and public safety. At a White House Black History Month reception just a few days ago, you renewed your promise to address longstanding disparities in federal investment and contracting in Black communities. Aligned with the NAACP Maryland State Conference, we seek to elevate the voices of these same communities, and that is why we ask that you to consider these interests when determining the location of the FBI’s new consolidated headquarters.
Federal facilities like the new FBI campus generate a wave of quality government jobs, contracting opportunities, and customers for local small businesses in the surrounding area. In the process, they can transform underserved Black communities for the better. Greenbelt, MD, and Landover, MD – both finalists in the FBI headquarters expansion office – are two such examples. Choosing either of these sites would ensure that your administration is doing everything that it can to achieve its equity goals.
Throughout your tenure as president, you have been committed to reinvigorating communities just like Greenbelt and Landover. Both are in the only majority Black jurisdiction in the National Capital Region: Prince George’s County, MD. For decades, the county has been passed over for federal investment in comparison to the rest of the region. Despite being home to 20% of the region’s federal employees, Prince George’s County received only 4% of the region’s federal office space. In contrast, it has received half of the region’s federal warehouses, which do little to stimulate the local economy and create economic opportunities for Prince Georgians.
This disparity in federal office space has contributed to income disparities and the racial wealth gap in the greater Washington metropolitan area. Prince Georgians’ median wages trail the average in the rest of the region by 18% and the average in Fairfax County by 48%. Prince George’s County also ranks 107th for economic mobility out of America’s 150 largest counties. Conversely, Fairfax County ranks second. Crucially, 64% of Prince Georgians are Black, compared with only 10% of the population of Fairfax County – which is the third proposed site.
Your decision on where to locate the new FBI headquarters will either reduce or enlarge the disparities already affecting the National Capital Region. The NAACP strongly believes that choosing Prince George’s County as the FBI’s new home will do the most to advance your equity agenda. Such a decision would not be charity. The Greenbelt and Landover sites both meet and exceed the FBI’s operational and security needs. Additionally, the county has a diverse and highly-skilled workforce that would enhance the FBI’s ability to execute its mission. Indeed, our government – and its facilities – should reflect the diversity of the American people that it serves.
The NAACP will continue to stand proudly with your administration to secure greater civil rights, justice, and opportunity for Black Americans. In that same spirit, we hope that you will stand with us on this matter. Thank you for considering these perspectives.