More than 400 lawmakers, activists, civil rights leaders, musicians, and actors have penned a joint letter to President Joe Biden, urging him to support behind a series of Congressional bills focused on racial equity and reparative justice through executive actions and orders.

The letter, exclusively shared with ABC News, is the third such appeal to the White House this year. Notable signatories include NAACP President Derrick Johnson, attorney Ben Crump, National Action Network President Al Sharpton, fashion stylist Law Roach, music executive Willie “Prophet” Stiggers, actress Erika Alexander, talk show host Tavis Smiley, and Representatives Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas), Cori Bush (D-Mo.), and Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.).

This latest initiative follows months of efforts to secure a meeting with the White House, with leaders stressing to President Biden that “the state of our Union depends upon” these critical bills.

Marcus Anthony Hunter, a UCLA professor leading the effort, emphasized the letter’s role as an accountability measure after extensive work behind closed doors in Washington, D.C., and across the country.

In response to the letter, a White House spokesperson stressed President Biden’s commitment to advancing racial equity and supporting underserved communities since taking office. The administration listed such achievements such as record-low Black unemployment, increased Black net worth, and expanded access to homeownership and protections against housing discrimination.

The joint letter implores President Biden to engage with Congressional members and advocates promptly to address the unfinished work of advancing comprehensive equity through executive orders and actions.

“Clearly, we are at a tipping point that requires the reckoning of H.R. 40 to help restore national balance and unity,” Jackson Lee told ABC News. “Tragically, we continue to witness abhorrent attacks in Congress and across the country on diversity, equity and inclusion, rolling back decades of progress to eliminate division and intolerance — shocking efforts that echo back to the darkest periods of our nation’s history.”

The H.R. 40 bill, formally known as the Commission to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African Americans Act, has been stalled in Congress for over three decades. The bill was first introduced in every legislative session since 1989 but had faced significant challenges in advancing through the legislative process. Despite its long history of introduction, H.R. 40 gained traction when it passed out of the House Judiciary Committee in 2021. However, it has yet to come to a vote in either the House or the Senate.

There have been calls by many, such as longtime reparations advocate Prof. William Darity, who say the bill is flawed and needs to be re-written. Darity has stressed that reparations should be given in monetary form and only to Native Black Americans who have slave ancestry.

“Each of the pieces of legislation laid out would be a step towards repairing the harms of America’s original sin and centuries of discrimination, redlining and institutionalized oppression. We must be honest with ourselves and tell the truth about our history and how it impacts our communities today, so that together we can build a better future,” Bowman told ABC News.

The timing of the letter on April 4 coincides with the anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination, The Hill reported.

The letter reads: “As we face another election year, this conversation regarding urgent executive action on reparations is not just about policy—it is about the people of the United States of America, the fate of our democracy, national unity, and national security.”

It continues, “We call upon you to meet with the Congressional members and advocates, as soon as possible, to tackle and attend to the unfinished work of advancing comprehensive equity through executive orders and actions.”

Cori Bush (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson, File)/Sheila Jackson Lee (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)/Tavis Smiley (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)