Rev. William Barber

When Will We Say 'ENOUGH' to Racial Injustice and Prosecutorial Misconduct?

Video from WRAL.com. More related news at www.naacpnc.org.

When will our Government -- our Governor, Council of State, Legislature, Criminal Justice System, and the Courts -- face the facts that every thinking person knows are true?  Our criminal justice system discriminates against Black men. 

Just a few weeks ago another Black man barely escaped execution by our State Government because of gross mistakes and prejudice in our criminal “justice” system.  That makes three North Carolina Black men in the past five months who, but for the grace of God, would have been wrongly executed in our name. 

How long will we let these injustices in our name continue?  When will we say Enough?   

Must we expose wrongful convictions, wrongful appellate decisions, wasted decades on death row for Black men every month?  Every week?   When will we say Enough?

Disturbing Statistics on Crime and Poverty

•    Among the one million offenders incarcerated as of June 30, 2004 an estimated 576,000 were black males between the ages of 20-30
•    For ages 25-29, 12.6% of blacks were in jail, compared to 3.6% of Latinos and 1.75 of whites
•    Once arrested, blacks are three times more likely to be incarcerated than whites
•    78% of the high minority schools have math teachers who are teaching out of their subject area
•    Blacks are twice as likely to be unemployed than whites

•    Homeownership rates, 75% for whites compared to 48% for blacks
•    Median net worth is $81,000 for whites, $10,000 for blacks, $3,000 Latinos
•    Blacks represent 12% of total population yet represent 29.5% of those arrested

•    Once arrested, blacks are three times more likely to be incarcerated than whites
•    Of 682 defendants charged with federal crimes subject to death penalty 20% were white, 80% minority
•    U.S. attorneys recommended death penalty be sought for 26% of whites and 74% of minorities
•    In 2000 & 2004, percentage of uncounted votes was higher in minority and neighborhoods with high poverty
•    50% of African countries are ranked the poorest in the world
•    8.6% of whites live under the poverty line while 24.7% of African Americans and 21.9% of Latinos live under the poverty line