Media
Event Summary
The Center for Immigration Studies hosted a panel discussion on the effects of the federal government’s immigration policies on Black Americans. The panelists explored historical and recent trends, focusing on the wage and employment impacts on Black communities.
The July 11, 10 a.m. Eastern event featured representatives of Black America for Immigration Reform, a non-profit founded by Black American leaders advocating for immigration reforms that serve the interests of Black men and women.
Roy Beck, author of Back of the Hiring Line: A 200-year History of Immigration Surges, Employer Bias and Depression of Black Wealth, also joined the panel, exploring how government policies and actions that have enabled employers to depress Black wages and to avoid hiring African Americans.
The participants reflected on the views of leaders like W.E.B. Du Bois, Booker T. Washington, and A. Philip Randolph, who believed that mass immigration harmed their community. The panel considered whether restricting immigration today would tighten the labor market and provide more opportunities for Black American workers.
Participants
Kathleen Wells, Executive Director, BAIR
Former host of both the Kathleen Wells Show and The Naked Truth Report; member of Project 21, the National Center for Public Policy Research’s black leadership network program.
Donna Jackson, Director of Membership Development, BAIR
Director of Membership Development, Project 21, the National Center for Public Policy Research’s black leadership network program; Board member, The Conservative Caucus; former Deputy Controller, U.S. Export-Import Bank.
Roy Beck, Founder of NumbersUSA
Author of five books, the most recent being Back of the Hiring Line: A 200-year History of Immigration Surges, Employer Bias and. Depression of Black Wealth.
Moderator: Mark Krikorian, Executive Director, Center for Immigration Studies
Date and Location
July 11, 2024
Washington, DC
Mark Krikorian Introduction
Roy Beck
Kathleen Wells
Donna Jackson