20 | JUNE 11 • 2020
T
he Congressional
Caucus on Black-Jewish
Relations released a
joint statement on June 2 con-
demning the killing of George
Floyd in Minnesota, calling
his death “nothing less than
a modern-day lynching.
” The
caucus also called for an end to
systemic racism and demand-
ing justice.
U.S. Representative Brenda
Lawrence (D), who represents
Michigan’
s 14th district, is one
of the co-chairs of the caucus.
Lawrence believes that now
is the time for the caucus to
spring into action and calls on
the black and Jewish communi-
ties to continue to come togeth-
er like they have in the past.
“We’
re going to have legisla-
tion and laws that will address
hate crimes and civil rights for
everyone,
” Lawrence told the
JN. “This is an opportunity for
us to work together. We must
become very clear in our gov-
ernment and in our policies
to publicly have zero tolerance
for people who commit hate
crimes, for people who discrim-
inate and for people who are
racist and anti-Semitic.
”
In the next few weeks, the
caucus is planning a national
town hall event to be aired on
PBS. They are still working on
the logistics for the town hall
so they can include a variety of
voices.
The caucus, started in the fall
of 2019, brings together bipar-
tisan leadership to raise aware-
ness of the needs of the com-
munities, as well as to initiate
measures to combat hate and
stereotypes. As the representa-
tive for a district that includes
large parts of Southfield, West
Bloomfield and Farmington
Hills, as well as Pontiac and
much of Detroit, Lawrence has
long had to balance the needs
of her black and Jewish constit-
uents.
Lawrence said the caucus is
putting a package of legislature
together. One policy she wants
to see is that when a crime like
Floyd’
s murder takes place, the
investigation should not be con-
ducted by its own police force.
Instead, she said, it should be
handed over to the FBI for
investigation.
Lawrence would like to see
more changes in the training,
education and hiring of police
officers. Many cities, Lawrence
said, require rookies to take
diversity training courses, but
once officers are sworn in, the
courses never come back into
play.
“We all have our own per-
sonal biases and life experience
that allow us to have certain
feelings,
” Lawrence said. “But
being a police officer, we must
find a way to train, monitor,
hold accountable and remove
those police officers who are
not fulfilling their duties.
”
LAWRENCE STANDS
WITH PROTESTERS
While protests are happening
throughout the country in
response to the police killing of
Floyd, Lawrence advocates for
people to stand up, use their
voices and stand in solidarity
with the black community. She
also asks for the Jewish com-
munity to continue to lend their
undeniable support.
“The civil rights we have
gained in this country were
because of the Jewish commu-
nity stepping up legally, step-
ping up by protesting and step-
ping up in financial support for
groups,
” Lawrence said. “What
we need now is the Jewish com-
munity to stand with us. The
Jewish community to me are
my brothers and sisters. I want
them to be visible.
”
Lawrence understands this
fight is the same fight genera-
tions have been combatting for
years, similar to how the Jewish
community continues to battle
anti-Semitism, white supremacy
and hate crimes.
“When are we going to create
an environment that shows this
is unacceptable?” Lawrence
said. “Someone told me, ‘
You
U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Rep. Brenda Lawrence
asks the Jewish community
to stand in solidarity
with the black community.
CORRIE COLF STAFF WRITER
Brenda Lawrence
“I Want Them
to be Visible”
“Someone told me yesterday,
‘No matter how dark the night,
morning will come.’
And I am counting on that.”
— BRENDA LAWRENCE
Jews in the D
jews and racial justice