Press Releases

STATEMENT BY REV. AL SHARPTON REGARDING THE MAYOR’S SPEECH ON STOP AND FRISK SUNDAY AT A BLACK CHURCH

“The Mayor’s speech today at a Black church on Sunday did not address the racial profiling and violation of civil rights and civil liberties of Blacks and Latinos, and in particular, of the youth in New York City.

National Action Network has worked with the Mayor and Police Commissioner in fighting crime and have hosted both at our “House of Justice” and have even engaged in successful gun buyback programs. We feel, however, that the Stop and Frisk policy robs people who are innocent of their rights as citizens and does not lead to a reduction in crime. The data clearly establishes that it does not even lead to a large confiscation of firearms. 88% of the people stopped are totally innocent of any criminal activity.

That is why we have joined in coordinating over 200 organizations, including our fellow co-chairs 1199 SEIU and the NAACP, in a silent march down 5th avenue protesting Stop and Frisk and racial profiling next Sunday.

The Mayor should engage in an open and serious dialogue with those in the civil rights community around this issue so we can fight crime as a city but at the same time not do it at the cost of people’s civil rights and civil liberties. Children cannot be born in this city where upon birth some are deemed citizens and others deemed suspects. We call on the Mayor to enter serious dialogue around those concerns.”

Reverend Al Sharpton, President of National Action Network.