[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 1]
[Senate]
[Page 434]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                 BLACK ON BLACK CRIME PREVENTION MONTH

  Mr. PRYOR. Mr. President, 1 year ago this month, a powerful new force 
joined together and it has since swept through the neighborhoods in 
Arkansas. Its members said enough to the homicides plaguing our 
streets, enough to the violence in our schools and homes and enough to 
standing by to watch our communities crumble.
  Members of the community saw that although African Americans 
comprised 12 percent of the national population, a staggering 45 
percent of all murder victims in 2002 were black. A resounding 91 
percent of those murders were incidents of black on black crime.
  Homicide was and is still literally tearing apart African-American 
families, serving as the leading cause of death for black men ages 15 
to 24, and the second leading cause of death for black women of the 
same age group. Black-on-black crime remains an epidemic, having a 
devastating impact on our families and ultimately compromising the 
safety and quality of life in my great State of Arkansas.
  One year ago this month, community leaders, faith leaders, government 
officials, community organizations, and businesses did more than just 
say enough is enough. They formed the Black on Black Crime Coalition to 
inform and educate the citizens of Little Rock about black-on-black 
crime, but also to implement programs and initiatives to reduce 
homicides, reduce violent crimes and take back their streets and 
neighborhoods.
  I am proud to be a partner of this coalition, to join with coalition 
members and its wide array of partners and raise public awareness about 
black-on-black crime. The coalition has spent its first year creating 
and supporting intervention and mentoring programs, conducting 
workshops for community organizations, supporting neighborhood 
associations, implementing youth programs and lobbying elected 
officials to implement policies for effective change. The coalition is 
working through the statistics, trying to understand the systemic 
causes, determining the solutions and reversing this epidemic that is 
stealing away our future leaders.
  This January, in Arkansas, we celebrate Black on Black Crime 
Prevention Month. The coalition has organized a month filled with 
ceremonies, roundtable discussions, town meetings, and prayer to help 
meet its mission. By all means, these efforts are contributing to a 
better understanding of the challenges that Arkansas' black communities 
face each and every day, but we are also learning and implementing 
strategies to beat back and overcome these challenges.
  As the former attorney general of my State, I have worked closely 
with law enforcement officers and the community to make Arkansas a 
safer place to live and raise a family. As a Senator, I have continued 
to fight for legislation, programs, technology and budgets to 
accomplish this goal. And I pledge to continue this commitment.
  It is a tremendous responsibility that the Black on Black Crime 
Coalition has accepted. I commend the members of this coalition for 
their dedication and teamwork, and congratulate them for several 
meaningful and successful events during this year's Black on Black 
Crime Prevention Month and for their unyielding efforts throughout the 
year.

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