Appeals for stronger hate crime laws on second anniversary of James Byrd=s dragging death
Kweisi Mfume, President and CEO, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), today observed the second anniversary of the James Byrd dragging death by calling for Congress to move swiftly on the passage of the Hate Crimes Prevention Act. The bill amends the federal criminal codes to set stronger and stiffer penalties for persons who willfully injure or attempt to injure anyone because of their perceived race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or national origin.
Mfume said: AThe predatory nature of Mr. Byrd=s murder in Jasper, Texas by self-proclaimed white supremacists is a stark reminder that hate is still a destructive force alive and well in America. It is reminiscent of the lynchings that regularly took place in this country when the NAACP was first established. Such crimes require the most stringent sanctions and toughest punishments that the law can provide.@
Last year three white men were convicted for the gruesome slaying of Mr. Byrd. On June 7, 1998, Mr. Byrd was chained by his ankles to the back of a pick-up truck and dragged for more than two miles until his body was torn into pieces.
Founded in 1909, The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), is the nation=s oldest and largest civil rights organization. It=s half-million adult and youth members throughout the United States and the world are the premier advocates for civil rights in their communities, conducting voter registration drives and monitoring equal opportunity in the public and private sectors.
CONTACT: NAACP Office of Communications - (410) 486-9227
ANAACP 2000: RACE TO VOTE@
91st NAACP Convention
Baltimore, Maryland
July 8-13, 2000
4805 Mount Hope Drive/Baltimore, Maryland 21215/(410) 358-8900