A Democratic strategist and lobbyist is reacting to President Joe Biden’s series of executive orders aimed at addressing systemic racism in America.

Biden signed those orders on Tuesday.

“We never fully lived up to the founding principles of this nation-state. The obvious that all people are created equal and have the right to be treated equally throughout their lives,” Biden said. “And it’s time to act now, not only because it’s the right thing to do, but because if we do we’ll all be better for it.”

Those orders focused on non-discrimination policies, prison reform and public housing.

Jeannine LaRue, senior vice president at the Kauffman Zita Group says that America’s recent reckoning with race was sparked by the death of George Floy last year and was only magnified by the pandemic.

“Those eight minutes and 46 seconds changed a lot of people’s lives that day. And I don’t know if it would have had the same impact had there not been a pandemic,” she says.

LaRue says that because many people stayed inside their homes during that time they were able to watch the video of Floyd’s last moments and the following news coverage.

“They were watching this. And watching the breath of a man – the last few breaths – and watching him call out to his mother. Watching it over and over and over again,” she says.

In the coming weeks, the Biden administration is expected to outline plans for a policing commission, which includes training officers and departments on how to manage situations without using deadly force. It also seeks to ban the transfer of military equipment to local police departments.

The president also wants the Department of Health and Human Services to eliminate anti-Asian bias in its response to COVID-19 by working to prevent bullying, harassment and hate crimes against members of the Asian community.

Biden criticized former President Donald Trump’s use of the phrase “China Virus.”

News 12 New Jersey will be airing a Black History Month Special called “Marching to Matter” to discuss what it is like to be a Black American. It will air Wednesday, Feb. 3 at 7 p.m.