Brooklyn’s Caribbean clergy endorse de Blasio for Mayor

Group Cites de Blasio’s Support for Ban on Racial Profiling

July 2, 2013 By Francesca Norsen Tate, Religion Editor Brooklyn Daily Eagle
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A coalition of leaders from Brooklyn’s Caribbean clergy community announced its endorsement of Bill de Blasio for Mayor on Monday, citing his commitment to reducing income and economic inequality, and praising his support for two urgently needed police reform measures. Mr. de Blasio is currently NYC Public Advocate.

The coalition believes that Bill de Blasio is the only candidate for New York City Mayor who supports both a ban on racial profiling, and creating an Inspector General for the NYPD.

“Bill de Blasio has proved that he is the only candidate willing to stand up for outer-borough, immigrant communities and people of color,” said Bishop Orlando Findlayter, Bishop Vaden Grant, and Apostle Dr. Victor Hines in a statement. “We support his vision for keeping our communities safe without subjecting New Yorkers to unnecessary and humiliating stop and frisks.”

As Mayor, De Blasio would eliminate the burdensome impact of what the clergy consider to be overly-aggressive tactics that force a needless wedge between the NYPD and many communities across our city. “De Blasio’s vision for public safety will maintain our advances in crime reduction by utilizing technology and smart anti-crime tactics, but he will also mend the divisions between police and communities that cripple neighborhood safety,” the statement reads.

“The overuse and abuse of stop-and-frisk has unfairly targeted New Yorkers of color and caused community distrust of the police,” said Mr. de Blasio. “We need a mayor committed to both an Inspector General for the NYPD and a racial profiling ban to keep cops and residents safe, and I’m the only candidate who would sign both of these bills into law.”

The endorsement comes on the heels of Mayor Bloomberg’s recent controversial defense of the stop-and-frisk policy and remarks against the racial profiling ban and NYPD IG bills.  In comments he made last Friday, June 28, Bloomberg actually said minorities were actually disproportionally stopped “too little.”

The Caribbean Clergy for Bill de Blasio has, as of press time, the following members:

Rev. Lorenzo Williamson; Bishop Vaden Grant; Pastor Derrick Alle; Elder John Williams (Seventh Day Adventist); Minister Patricia Malcolm; Pastor Byron Sterling (Seventh Day Adventist); Apostle Dr. Victor Hinds; Bishop Orlando Findlayter; Rev. Terry Michael Lee

Rev. Ertha Efenelon and Minister Faithlyn Morrison.

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