Arkansas Black on Black Crime Coalition

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.