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2026
Policy Agenda

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Greater Pittsburgh & Mon Valley Region

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BWPC advances two interconnected but distinct policy agendas:

  1. Black Women’s Policy Agenda

  2. Black Girls Policy Agenda

Each agenda reflects different systems, decision-makers, and policy levers—while remaining aligned in values and power-building goals.

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Our Vision

Black women deserve economic security, stable housing, accessible healthcare, and meaningful power in the decisions that shape their lives. The Black Women’s Policy Center (BWPC) advances policies grounded in data, lived experience, and community leadership to dismantle structural inequities impacting Black women and their families.

Chefs in Kitchen

Economic & Workplace Justice

Why This Matters (Data):

  • Black women in Pennsylvania earn approximately 63¢ for every $1 earned by white, non-Hispanic men.

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  • Black women are more likely to be primary breadwinners yet less likely to have access to paid leave or paid sick days.

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  • A full-time minimum-wage worker cannot afford a two-bedroom apartment anywhere in Pennsylvania at fair-market rent.

Suburb Neighbourhood

Housing Stability & Anti-Eviction Reform

Why This Matters (Data):

  • Eviction filing rates are significantly higher in Black neighborhoods, even when income levels are similar.

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  • Black women—especially mothers—are more likely to experience eviction.

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  • An eviction filing alone can limit housing access for up to seven years.

Pregnancy Ultrasound Session

Healthcare Access, Black Maternal Health & Advancing the MOMNIBUS

Why This Matters (Data):

  • Black women experience higher rates of chronic illness and face persistent barriers to consistent care.

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  • Black birthing people in Pennsylvania experience significantly higher maternal morbidity and mortality, regardless of income or education.

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  • Many pregnancy-related deaths are preventable with timely, culturally responsive care and system accountability.

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Civic Engagement, Advocacy & Political Power

Why This Matters (Data):

  • Black women are among the most consistent voters but remain underrepresented in decision-making roles.

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  • Communities with stronger civic participation experience greater policy responsiveness and more equitable resource allocation.

OUR COMMITMENT

Policies must be shaped with Black women—not for us—and measured by accountability, outcomes,

and lasting systems change.

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2026
Policy Agenda

BWPC Logo_Text - Horizontal.png

Greater Pittsburgh & Mon Valley Region

​Created with Black girls from the Gwen’s Girls BGALA leadership program.

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Our Vision

Black girls deserve care, dignity, opportunity, and voice — not punishment, silence, or exclusion. This agenda reflects priorities identified in partnership with youth leaders involved in the Gwen’s Girls BGALA program, centering their lived experiences and advocacy goals.

Therapist With Child

Mental Health Support & Access

Why This Matters (Data):

 

 

Black girls nationwide report high levels of psychological distress but receive less supportive intervention and more punitive responses in schools.

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Implementation & Enforcement of the CROWN Act

Why This Matters (Data):

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Hair-based discrimination has been one of the most common subjective reasons Black girls are disciplined or excluded from school activities historically.

Girls in Kitchen

Ending Adultification
of Black Girls

Why This Matters (Data):

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Research shows Black girls are disproportionately perceived as older and less innocent than peers, contributing to harsher discipline and reduced support.

Classroom

Eliminating Excessive Suspensions

Why This Matters (Data):

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Black girls are suspended at higher rates than white girls, often for subjective offenses like “defiance” or dress code violations.

Judge Holding Gavel

Eliminating Juvenile Fines & Fees

Why This Matters (Data):

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Juvenile fines and fees disproportionately burden low-income Black families and do not improve outcomes.a

Children Returning to School

Dress Code Equity & Comprehensive Sex Education

Why This Matters (Data):

  • Inconsistent enforcement of dress codes leads to disproportionate removal and discipline for Black girls even when dressed similarly to peers.

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  • Districts with comprehensive sex ed demonstrate better health outcomes and lower rates of teen pregnancy.

Unity And Strength

Civic Engagement, Advocacy & Youth Voice

Why This Matters (Data):

Youth civic engagement correlates with higher academic and long-term political participation, yet Black girls are often excluded from decision-making spaces.

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