Rep. Yvette D. Clarke

Paying It Forward

2013-01-01T19:34:23-05:00

This letter is part of our "Letters to Our Ancestors" project. In celebration of the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation, we've asked members of our community to share their own letters to our forefathers. With these letters, we hope to look back on the progress our community has made and give thanks to those who helped pave the way. You can see them all here.

This is a letter to recently emancipated ancestors.

I am writing to express to you my sincere gratitude for your steadfast commitment to future generations. The pain and sacrifice, the indignities and persecution you endured to confront man's inhumanity to man has made it possible for succeeding generations to take their rightful place as citizens of our great nation.

One hundred and fifty years have passed since President Lincoln's historic signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. As people of African descent, we have made great strides. We are full participants in the governance of our communities and indeed our nation. We have even lived to see a person of African descent become twice elected to serve our nation as President. In the 113th Congress, forty-two African-Americans, including myself, will serve in the House and one in the Senate. We continue to confront injustice and discrimination wherever we encounter it. The fight for socioeconomic justice and the right to quality education continues, yet we can still count our blessings for all that has been accomplished not withstanding these challenges.

As in preceding generations, your expectations of our success, of living in a nation where our contributions are valued and where we stand as equals to all people is being realized; however much more can be done to expand upon this success. It is important to future generations that we remain focused on creating opportunities for education and advancement, that we create safe and healthy communities for them to inherit, and that we create more leadership that reflects the value we hold for all that you endured to make a life of dignity possible for people of African descent in the Americas and around the world.

In closing, know that your sacrifices were not made in vain. We have learned that freedom is not free; it comes at an extremely dear price. We continue to pay that price everyday and do so with the knowledge that you made it possible by paying it forward.

Most respectfully,

Yvette D. Clarke

Member of Congress

Stop-and-Frisk Targets Minorities -- Creates Culture of Fear in New York

2012-03-14T14:08:48-04:00

The New York City Police Department's (NYPD) Stop, Question-and-Frisk Program, known as "Stop-and-Frisk," must end. The safety of our communities cannot be purchased at the price of the civil liberties of the law abiding citizenry of New York City (NYC). Unfortunately, the current Stop-and-Frisk policy has invaded the personal security of citizens, and its efficacy remains debatable. The current program results in fear and insecurity among minority communities which have been disproportionately affected, further exacerbating their historically fragile relationship with the NYPD. I understand that there is a definitive need for law enforcement to protect the city it serves from gun violence and other violent crimes that plague our communities. However, it is imperative that we find more creative, efficient and effective methods that increase community involvement; create trusting partnerships between the community and law enforcement; and reduce the need for draconian style policies based on racial profiling and discrimination.

According to the NYPD, its mission is to "enhance the quality of life in [NYC] by working in partnership with the community and in accordance with constitutional rights to enforce the laws, preserve the peace, reduce fear, and provide for a safe environment." The Stop-and-Frisk program counters this premise as its consequences reduce the overall quality of life for the law abiding citizen or Legal Permanent Resident (LPR) and the community at large. It jeopardizes the constitutional rights of those who are stopped, questioned and searched with very limited cause; and it produces an environment of fear, mistrust and animosity between our communities and the law enforcement, creating a more precarious environment for all.

The current Stop-and-Frisk program gives the individual police officer almost complete discretion in obstructing the movement of individuals in order to conduct spot-checks. According to the New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU), in 2011, the NYPD stopped an estimated 684,330 New Yorkers. Approximately 90 percent of those stops were fruitless and did not result in an arrest or summons. Moreover, 53 percent of those stopped were Black, 34 percent were Latino and 9 percent were White. "Furtive movements," was the number one reason reported for the stops. This is undeniably vague reasoning, especially to justify the often aggressive tactics and use of physical force during stops.

Proponents of the program point to a correlation between the crime rate and the racial disparity with those stopped and frisked to support the efficacy of the program. However, the numbers just don't add up. According to a CUNY John Jay School of Criminal Justice 2010 report, in raw numbers, out of 308,101 stops of Black individuals in 2008, 617 guns were recovered; out of 135,026 stops of Hispanic individuals, 121 guns were recovered; and out of 57,650 stops of White individuals, 42 guns were recovered. Stops were somewhat more efficient in recovering other types of weapons, especially among Whites. For every 1,000 White individuals frisked in 2008, officers recovered 36.6 knives or other non firearms. The equivalent return for Hispanics and Blacks was 23.7 and 20.8, respectively. This is a low outcome for the large number of individuals stopped and searched for that year. The same report suggests that in 2009, while the number of stops increased, 1.3 percent of the stops resulted in the discovery of a weapon; 6% of stops resulted in an arrest; and 6.2 percent resulted in the issuance of a summons.

There is no doubt that Stop-and-Frisk does not yield the desired results and it is apparent that it disproportionately targets minority communities. But the policy is not solely a racial issue. It speaks to the "police state" that New York City is quickly becoming, using fear and intimidation as a means to keep people "safe." The acceleration of the program, in addition to recent allegations of spying on Muslim communities in New York and New Jersey, indicate that the NYPD is taking their role as a "paramilitary force" too far. It is clear that the NYPD needs to be reminded of its covenant with the public. We must stand together and demand that New York's "Finest" protect and serve our community with the respect and dignity that the people of New York deserve and pay for.

I call on Mayor Bloomberg, Commissioner Kelly, the Department of Justice and the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights to immediately look into the conduct of the NYPD concerning Stop-and-Frisk. It is a policy that goes against the very principles this country was founded on. This program is an assault on our communities and an affront to our collective humanity.

Why I Am Going to Alabama

2011-11-18T15:38:50-05:00

On Monday, November 21st, several of my colleagues in the House of Representatives and I, led by Congressman Luis Gutierrez of Illinois, are heading to Birmingham, Alabama to denounce H.B. 56, the state law that undermines the human rights of those without legal status and jeopardizes the ability of their children to attend school.

This law requires public schools to determine the immigration status of their students. Unfortunately, many families have already removed their children from Alabama public schools to avoid harassment by administrators.

H.B. 56 also requires police officers to determine the legal status of anyone arrested or otherwise detained, based on a "reasonable suspicion" that the person does not have citizenship. In effect, the law requires racial profiling. Anyone who seems to be "Not American" must establish his or her right to remain in the United States.

In addition, H.B. 56 authorizes the Alabama Department of Homeland Security to hire and maintain its own immigration police force.

This egregious law is another attempt by reactionary politicians to legislate that which is clearly beyond their jurisdiction... Immigration Law.

No one should believe that the problems with our nation's immigration policies are strictly limited to the reactionary, abusive, and often bigoted Alabama and Arizona laws. The effect of our obsolete federal immigration policies on families has been deplorable - with more than 5,000 children placed in foster care due to their parents having been detained or deported.

There are better, more enlightened and humane alternatives to address our broken and obsolete immigration system. For example, on Monday, the New York State Board of Regents recommended that the state legislature allow undocumented students to receive financial aid from the state's Tuition Assistance Program. Other states have enacted similar programs that will allow undocumented residents and their children to obtain an education and participate in the economy.

Only Congress has the authority to adequately and holistically address our broken immigration system. That is why it is imperative that Congress take up comprehensive immigration reform so that we can keep families and communities together; provide a feasible pathway to citizenship; fix our visa allocation system; bring workers back to our farms; and integrate our immigrants as contributing members of our civil society, strengthening our economy and creating jobs for all Americans.

We have the ability, it is our duty to reject the politics of divisiveness and bigotry. We must pass comprehensive immigration reform now. How we treat these immigrants today will ultimately define our future as a nation.

Fighting to Fulfill "The Dream"

2011-08-27T21:03:09-04:00

August 28, 1963 was the day America saw one of the most profound, forward-thinking speeches in modern day history, delivered to our nation and the world. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a prominent voice in the civil rights movement, gave his prophetic "I Have a Dream" speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. His words not only instilled hope for racial equality and economic justice in America, they provided a vision that challenged the status quo, a vision of peace and prosperity for all. For the 48th anniversary of this great speech, our nation will honor Dr. King's iconic role by unveiling the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial. This manifestation of Dr. King's image carved in stone will remind our nation of not only how far we have come, but how far we must continue to go, to end this, "lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity."

Dr. King helped all of us understand that "... the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice... ," and that ultimately, we shall overcome. His inspirational message filled our nation with hope during some of the darkest times in our history. Though many pushed for separatism and isolationism, Dr. King espoused a philosophy with a core message of national unity. While those fighting for justice found themselves attacked by police dogs, hosed downed by fire hoses, beaten and jailed... Dr. King still maintained a stance of non-violence, hope, equality and change.

Even after facing jail, Martin Luther King, Jr. courageously and boldly spoke out against racial inequality. In the famous letter written in a Birmingham jail, Dr. King wrote "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." This message reverberated across the United States and around the world. Watching the intricate links between economic injustices and oppressive regimes across Africa and the Middle East today, these words have rarely seemed more prescient. The creation and dedication of this monument reminds us that the message of hope and appeal for an enlightened and just civil society is as relevant today as it was on August 28, 1963.

As a proud beneficiary of the civil rights movement, I am honored that our nation will unveil the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial. I will continue to reflect on my indebtedness to Dr. King, civil rights leaders and the everyday Americans who sacrificed their safety to ensure the certain inalienable rights that my generation and our posterity enjoy today. Standing in the symbolic shadow of Dr. King offers a stark reminder of the sacrifice, vigilance and perseverance required to attain and maintain the dream of equality in our nation. The very idea fills me with the sense of obligation to continue the pursuit of Dr. King's dream. With the unemployment rate in the African American community at 15.9 percent and the national unemployment rate for the nation at 9.1 percent, this struggle clearly continues.

I have no doubt that this August 28 will be a day for history, as it was 48 years ago. The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial, a beacon of hope, symbolizes both the progress in the struggle to make Dr. King's dream a reality, and the distance we have yet to travel. Dr. King was a gift to humanity. He gave his life in pursuit of the fulfillment of the real American Dream, a dream where women and men will not be "judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character." By extension, Dr. King's monument is also a symbol of the civil rights movement and a tribute to all who sacrificed in the fight against racial inequality. Today we hold them and their sacrifices in reverence, and realize the courage of their convictions. Their perseverance through adversity liberated our nation from the blatant "Jim Crow" laws of racial injustice in our past. In his memory, we must move forward and address the less overt vestiges of the Jim Crow legacy today, the incarceration and militarization of young black men and women, a future Dr. King warned against -- a future we can dismantle and thereby prevent.

I hope that the opening of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial will be a life-altering experience that inspires every American to rededicate themselves to the fulfillment of Dr. King's dream. I feel honored to share this experience with the many brave Americans who fought and who lost their lives in pursuit of making our nation a better place for us all.

Keeping Hope Alive in Haiti's Tent Cities

2011-05-17T15:56:31-04:00

On the afternoon of April 28, a black cloud rumbled over Haiti and unleashed violent
winds and torrents of rain that tore through an already ravaged landscape, setting off
a wave of panic. Debris flew through the air, canals and streams overflowed and for
a brief, agonizing moment it appeared that a natural calamity had again struck the
beleaguered island nation.

Nowhere were the effects of the raging storm more apparent than in the many camps
for Haiti's internally displaced people (IDPs). Throughout the city of Port-au-Prince,
tens of thousands of tent homes were torn apart by the wind or swept away by floods.
Though the tempest was short-lived, it left fresh tragedy in its wake and provided a bitter
reminder of the helpless predicament in which Haiti's displaced continue to live.

Indeed, almost 700,000 Haitians who lost their homes in the quake are still living in
appalling conditions. Despite a massive international commitment to assist Haiti, the
majority of these people still lack access to basic services like healthcare, clean water,
toilets, sanitation and live in tattered shelters. This environment is no match for the
tropical storms hitting Haiti now, or the hurricanes that may strike within months.

The increasing gravity of the situation in the camps requires an urgent response. This
is why we and 50 other members of Congress sent a letter to Secretary of State Hillary
Clinton asking the U.S. administration to "take decisive action" and "work with the
incoming government of Haiti and the international community to ensure that the rights
and vital needs of IDP communities are addressed in a timely and efficient manner."

The letter notes that in many camps the situation is worsening: shelter installations are
rapidly deteriorating; rape and other forms of gender-based violence are increasing,
and a quarter of camp residents are threatened with forced eviction. Few transitional
or permanent homes are available for the displaced, and according to the International
Organization for Migration (IOM), many families are being forced to move to even more
precarious dwellings.

The onset of the rainy season has added another layer of misery to the lives of displaced
families. Tropical rains and winds not only threaten the flimsy tents, tarps and bed
sheets that serve as shelter; they also cause constant flooding. This greatly increases the
likelihood of the spread of cholera and other diseases.

The effects of flooding are compounded by the lack of basic sanitation in many camps.
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Haiti has warned that without
sanitation services in camps, "latrines are going to overflow [and] it's going to be a
source of cholera contamination..." Partners in Health, an aid organization servicing
Haiti for over 20 years, has already reported a large spike in cholera cases in recent
weeks.

In short, an already intolerable situation is about to get worse. Swift, efficient action is
needed if we are to avoid another full-fledged humanitarian crisis.

Providing IDP communities with transitional and permanent housing must be a priority.
However, the first priority is ensuring that basic services, security and adequate
temporary shelter are provided to tent communities. Such a task is possible if -- with our
Haitian and international partners -- we strive to correct the inefficiencies and errors that
have plagued past aid efforts.

As our letter to Secretary Clinton states, our government needs to bring "accountability
and transparency... to the task of IDP assistance," in particular with regard to the efforts
of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and IOM. USAID
plays a central role within the international relief mission and should use its leverage to
ensure that contracting NGOs provide full coverage of the needs of displaced persons and
collaborate more closely with Haitians, particularly the very Haitians living in camps.

While our people and government have responded to Haiti's crisis with great generosity,
the alarming conditions in tent camps make it imperative to ramp up and reappraise our
efforts. It's time for us to step up to the plate, once again, and make sure that the next
violent storms don't succeed in destroying more lives and killing the hope that remains
among those who saw their homes crumble on January 12th, 2010.

Black History Is American History

2010-02-08T15:21:34-05:00

It was August 28th, 1963, and the greatest civil rights coalition in modern history had descended upon Washington. Hundreds of thousands of protesters trekked through the heat, stretching from the Washington Monument to the Lincoln Memorial. For several hours, marchers heard oratory expression from civil rights, religious, labor, and student leaders from across the country.

Several hours passed, and marchers were growing weary from the sun's rays. Finally, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. took the stage. Dr. King started his prolific speech by recounting the past and present injustices many African Americans experienced during their quest for civil rights. However, it was Dr. King's awesome vision, his dream for a better America, that forever changed the course of history. He envisioned an America where "... little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers."

It is in this same spirit that all Americans should celebrate Black History Month. Throughout this month, we all pause to reflect and celebrate our rich and wonderful mosaic. We examine and highlight the history of the African descendants in America, and know that each and every one of us has come this far because of our faith in this country. It is a time to celebrate our collective strength which pulled us through past struggles; a time to recognize our present day victories, and honor those who brought us to this point. This month we recognize that while our nation continues to confront and break down any remnants of bigotry and hate, we can see the sun over the horizon. Only by acknowledging the success and sacrifice made by those who came before us, can we fully understand what we must do to ensure the liberty of those who will succeed us.

During this month we honor great pioneers like Crispus Attucks, Harriet Tubman, Sojourner Truth, the Honorable Shirley Chisholm, Fannie Lou Hamer, Thurgood Marshall and Adam Clayton Powell, who now watch over us like guardian angels. We pay homage to our civil rights leaders like Congressmen John Conyers, John Lewis, Bobby Rush and Charles Rangel, who continue the good fight for justice here in Congress. We celebrate our living legends and history makers like Congressman James Clyburn, Oprah Winfrey, Muhammad Ali, Spike Lee, Colin Powell, Venus and Serena Williams, and Judith Jamison. Lastly, we pray for our first black President and First Lady, Barack and Michelle Obama, as well as the many brilliant people of color in the Administration that have dedicated themselves to improving the lives of all Americans.

It is also important that we recognize our unsung heroes, like Harvey Lawrence of the Brownsville Multi-Service Family Health Center, who works everyday to provide comprehensive health services to some of the poorest of my constituents. Community leaders across this country provide life changing services to the most vulnerable among us; and make a lasting impact on our society without national recognition.

We must never forget that Black History is American History. The achievements of African Americans have contributed to our nation's greatness. I encourage all Americans to take time during this month, and throughout the year, to reflect upon the many contributions African Americans have made to the building of our nation.

Crossposted at the Democratic Caucus blog.