CBC Chairman G. K. Butterfield (N.C.) and Congresswoman Barbara Lee (Ca.) call upon Uber and Lyft to Address Reports of Racial Discrimination

NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
November 4, 2016

CBC Chairman G. K. Butterfield and Congresswoman Barbara Lee Call upon Uber and Lyft to Address Reports of Racial Discrimination

A recent National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) report indicates “significant evidence of racial discrimination” against African American riders – particularly black men – using ride- sharing services

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressional Black Caucus Chairman G. K. Butterfield (NC-01) and Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-13) call upon ride-share service companies, Uber and Lyft, to address reports of racial discrimination following a study conducted by the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER).

“We are concerned with findings from the NBER study that show evidence of discrimination against African American riders attempting to use ride-share services such as Uber and Lyft as a means of transportation,” said Chairman Butterfield. “The CBC urges the leadership of these ride-sharing companies to address the issues of racism and discrimination found while using their platforms and implement solutions that work for all customers to ensure fairness and equity in the services they provide.”

“As ride-sharing and the broader sharing economy continue to reduce transportation costs and improve access, we must ensure that these gains are seen by all communities, not just a handful. Anything else is simply unacceptable,” said Congresswoman Barbara Lee, co-chair of the Congressional Black Caucus’s TECH2020 Initiative. “As tech companies continue to innovate the future, we look forward to working with them to implement measures that ensure access, equality and fairness for all.”

CBC Chairman Butterfield, Reps. Lee, Emmanuel Cleaver (MO-05), and Hakeem Jeffries (NY-08) are members of the CBC Diversity Task Force and CBC TECH2020 and sent a letter to Uber CEO Travis Kalanick and a letter to Lyft CEO Logan Green addressing their concerns following the NBER report.

The Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) founded TECH2020 in 2015 to bring together the best minds in the tech, non-profit, education, and public sectors to chart a path forward to increase African American diversity and inclusion at all levels of the technology industry. In addition to calling for full representation of African Americans in the tech sector, TECH2020 is also committed to ensuring African Americans and communities of color are not discriminated as end-users of technology products.

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Since its establishment in 1971, Members of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) have joined together to empower America’s neglected citizens and address their legislative concerns. For more than 40 years, the CBC has consistently been the voice for people of color and vulnerable communities in Congress and has been committed to utilizing the full Constitutional power and statutory authority of the United States government to ensure that all U.S. citizens have an opportunity to achieve the American Dream. To learn more about the Congressional Black Caucus, visit http://cbc-butterfield.house.gov.

Media inquiries:
Candace Randle Person (CBC) at or Candace.Person@mail.house.gov or James “Jim” Lewis (Lee) at James.Lewis2@mail.house.gov