Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus says "Enough is Enough"

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
State Rep. Ronald G. WatersD-Phila./Delaware www.pahouse.com/Waters



HARRISBURG, June 1 – The Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus issued the following statement today in response to the recent case of Bonnie Sweeten, a Bucks County woman who claimed she and her daughter were kidnapped by two black males, a claim that turned out to be a hoax:

"It is appalling that, time and time again, supposed crimes that have turned out to be hoaxes have involved allegations against black men. From Susan Smith to Bonnie Sweeten and other instances in between, black men have been the subject of grandiose fabricated tales of crimes, which have been proven to have never occurred. One can only surmise that those individuals have pointed fingers toward black men to bolster the believability of their tales, preying on the institutionalized racism and stereotypes that have permeated our culture and society. It is time for this to end."

PLBC chairman, state Rep. Ronald Waters, D-Delaware/Phila., added this statement: “This is another assault on the black community. How many more times will individuals point accusatory fingers toward black men to support their lies? All Pennsylvanians must stand together to reject this sort of outright racism. I call on all Pennsylvanians – and Americans – to abandon the racist stereotypes that stifle our progress and inhibit our growth as a unified nation. At a time when the economy is enduring an economic a devastating downturn, we should be focusing our attention on healing our nation, uniting one another and doing all that is in our power to help lift our country up.”

State Representative Jewell Williams, another member of the PLBC and a former police officer, added this statement: "Fabricated racial stereotyping makes it more difficult for law enforcement to find the real culprit. And it’s dangerous when citizens reinforce ignorant stereotypes with these types of false claims. Even though the nation has just elected its first black president, unfortunate incidents like these prove we are still short of achieving a united and equal nation."

The PLBC statement concludes: "The Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus strongly condemns such inequality and every false allegation of a crime against any person. As a caucus of legislators, we are committed to continuing the work of breaking down stereotypes and the institutionalized racism that encourages this type of irresponsible and unethical behavior."

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