As a body of nearly 10,000 men and women of color, and specifically those of African American and Latino descent, employed as criminal justice practitioners throughout the nation, the members and Board of Directors of the National Association of Black Law Enforcement Officers, Inc. (NABLEO) have, since their inception, consistently taken an active stance against discriminatory practices in law enforcement, and other instances of social injustice that bring both division and discredit to those in the communities we serve and protect.
Thus, we find the recent comments made during a political rally held in New York City’s Madison Square Garden to be both abhorrent and unacceptable, giving rise to an outright appearance of the full and total acceptance of racially divisive attitudes and beliefs by the candidate and their allies, and a disregard for the humanity and worth of members of communities of color.
To suggest that the island of Puerto Rico, which is home to more than three million American citizens is a “island of floating garbage in the ocean”, is offensive on its face, and racially insensitive at its core. And to suggest that Black people “carve watermelons for Halloween” or wear lampshades on their heads, is as well no less racially insensitive and unacceptable.
While it is recognized that these statements were made during a highly contentious political event, they are, as one news columnist has suggested, “a valedictory of hate, racism and misogyny”, and have no place in public discourse. They, and all those who embrace them, should and must be condemned and held accountable for their actions. The greater communities of color are owed a full, immediate, honest and public apology.
The National Association of Black Law Enforcement Officers, Inc, a 501.(c).(3) non-profit, is a premier national organization representing the interests and concerns of African American, Latino and other criminal justice practitioners of color serving in law enforcement, corrections, and investigative agencies throughout the United States, and the communities in which they serve.
