Delaware community groups get face time with White House officials

From Philly and the Pa. suburbs to South Jersey and Delaware, what would you like WHYY News to cover? Let us know!

This story was supported by a statehouse coverage grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

Delaware elected leaders, community activists and gubernatorial hopefuls gathered at the White House this week to hear how federal policies are working in the First State.

The “Communities in Action” program was originally an initiative of the Clinton White House. The Biden administration “resuscitated it,” said Tom Perez, director of the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs. Biden advisors hold half-day forums for state, local and community leaders to showcase how the president’s policies are impacting people’s lives.

“It’s really important for us to hear directly from community leaders and its communities in action. And I think it’s well named, because it is talking about communities that are making progress, moving the ball forward.”

Perez said they’ve been holding the forums for about two years and have gotten to about 30 of the 50 states so far.

Biden popped in to speak to the group from his home state on Thursday, which administration staff said was a surprise move by the president. The group’s face time with Biden happened before WHYY News was allowed access to the event.

Jennifer Thompkins took part in the visit as CEO of the Wilmington chapter of the Urban League and said she learned more about the Biden administration’s work to help people stay in their homes.

Thompkins said that during the storytime portion of the forum, she talked about a woman who went from barely making her rent to becoming a homeowner.

“And it begins this trajectory of generational wealth,” she said. “I think the huge misconception sometimes about Black and brown communities is that they don’t want to own property, they don’t want a piece of that American dream. And they do. Everyone wants a piece of that American dream.”