Happy Friday! Welcome to our Media Round Up. Each week we’re collecting and sharing our favorite gender + politics stories. Here’s what caught our eye this week:

Black women congressional leaders call for Senate to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act

Errin Haines & Amanda Becker, The 19th

On Tuesday, a number of Black Congresswomen called for reintroducing police violence legislation following the widely publicized Derek Chauvin trial, where Chauvin was found guilty of the murder of George Floyd. Former chair of the Congressional Black Caucus Karen Bass introduced the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act last summer, which aimed to provide protections against racial profiling and allow civilians to recover damages after constitutional rights violations. The bill would also require officer use of body cameras, and ban chokeholds and no-knock warrants. It is currently stalled in the Senate, where it will require 60 votes to pass.

You can read the full article here.

Poll finds women want pandemic help but ‘equity’ not driving issue

Maureen Groppe, USA Today

A new poll by Lake Research Partners that emphasizes the hardships women have endured throughout the COVID-19 pandemic suggests that the goal of gender equity is not as important to women as tangible policies that help women, such as improving access to health care. In the case of Republican and independent women, this is even more true. “Democrats tend to be pretty motivated about enforcing gender equity…but independent women and Republican women less so,” said Lake Research President, Celinda Lake. “In general, they’re really, really focused on specific pocket book and kitchen table issues with a heavy, heavy economic overlay.”

You can read the full article here.

Black women are willing to wait longer in line to vote than any other demographic group

Costas Panagopoulos, The Washington Post

Voter suppression continues to be a major concern for lawmakers across the country.  Studies have routinely found that voting lines in predominantly non-white communities tend to be longer than in white communities. A study by political scientist Stephen Pettigrew estimated that every additional hour that an individual waits in line lowers their probability to vote in the next election by 1 percentage point. Research by Northeastern University in partnership with YouGov shows that Black Americans are willing to wait longer to vote than any other racial group, with Black women leading among all groups by gender and race.

You can read the full article here.

Senate confirms Gupta nomination in tight vote

Harper Neidig, The Hill

On Wednesday, the Senate confirmed Vanita Gupta as associate attorney general in a close 51-49 vote. Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski was the only Republican who voted to confirm Gupta, who faced strong GOP opposition during her confirmation process due her previous harsh rhetoric aimed at Senate Republicans and former President Trump. “I’m going to give the benefit of the doubt to a woman who I believe has demonstrated through her professional career to be deeply, deeply committed to matters of justice,” Sen. Murkowski said on the floor before she cast her vote for Gupta.

You can read the full article here.

Chauvin verdict spotlights Harris’s unique role

Cleve R. Wootson Jr., The Washington Post

Vice President Kamala Harris addressed the nation following the conviction of former police officer Derek Chauvin in George Floyd’s murder. As the first Black person in her role, it was a significant moment for Harris. It was also a balancing act between the public’s hope for progress and the frustration in knowing there is still a lot of work to be done when it comes to racial justice. “America has a long history of systemic racism. Black Americans, and Black men in particular, have been treated through the course of our history as less than human. Black men are fathers and brothers and sons and uncles and grandfathers and friends and neighbors,” Harris said in a televised speech at the White House.

You can read the full article here.