[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 27 (Thursday, March 4, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Page S2220]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page S2220]]
                ARKANSAS BLACK ON BLACK CRIME COALITION

  Mrs. LINCOLN. Madam President, I rise today to pay tribute to a group 
of Arkansas who are demonstrating true leadership and commitment in 
facing down one of the gravest problems facing African-American 
communities today--black on black crime.
  Many people are unaware of the extent of black on black crime. 
Consider: African-Americans constitute 12 percent of the U.S. 
population. But in 2002, 45 percent of all murder victims nationwide 
were black. Of those murders, fully 91 percent were incidents of black 
on black crime. For young black men, homicide is the leading cause of 
death; for young black women, the second leading cause of death.
  It's clear that we need to address this epidemic. The good news is 
that, in Arkansas, we're trying to do just that. Last year, a group of 
community leaders, business leaders, government officials, and 
religious leaders banded together to form the ``Black On Black Crime 
Coalition,'' dedicated to raising public awareness of this important 
issue and developing solutions to mitigate this epidemic of crime and 
violence that is destroying lives, families, and communities every day. 
The coalition is just over one year old, and I'm proud to say that they 
are making great progress in developing new solutions, programs and 
plans to reduce the incidence of violent crime in the black community. 
These range from community workshops to neighborhood associations, from 
youth programs to public awareness campaigns.
  The coalition is working with government leaders and law enforcement 
officials to develop fresh, innovative solutions to the problem of 
black on black crime. I've worked with the coalition as a partner, and 
I've been impressed with the energy, seriousness, and dedication that 
members of the coalition display. Given the commitment I've seen so 
far, I'm confident that we will see outstanding results from this vital 
organization. Even if we can't completely eliminate black on black 
crime, we can significantly reduce their frequency. That will be good 
news for all of our communities.
  We recently observed ``Black On Black Crime Prevention Month'' to 
mark the coalition's founding in Arkansas and to continue raising 
public awareness about this epidemic of violent crime. I thank them for 
their commitment, and I ask that my colleagues join me in recognizing 
their leadership. It's been a great year, and I look forward to working 
with the Black On Black Crime Coalition for many years to come.

                          ____________________