National Newspaper Publishers Association Declares Police Brutality State of Emergency in the U.S.
WASHINGTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The nation’s largest trade association of African American owned
newspapers and media companies, the National Newspaper Publishers
Association (NNPA), today declared the existence of a police brutality
state of emergency in the United States with respect to Black America.
Denise Rolark Barnes, Chairman of the NNPA and publisher of The
Washington Informer; Bernal E. Smith II, member of the NNPA Board of
Directors and publisher of The New Tri-State Defender; and Dr. Benjamin
F. Chavis, Jr., President and CEO of the NNPA, jointly stated, “Millions
of our readers across the nation are once again outraged at the latest
fatal incidents of police brutality in Tulsa, OK and Charlotte, NC.
These are not isolated incidents, but are a deadly national pattern of
police violence and prosecutorial misconduct. A state of emergency now
exists in Black America.”
The NNPA calls urgently upon President Barack Obama, U.S. Attorney
General Loretta Lynch and members of the U.S. Congress to immediately:
- Appoint a Special Federal Prosecutor on Police Brutality
-
Establish a National Police Oversight Commission on Use of Deadly
Force, Training and Cultural Sensitivity -
Create a National Police Brutality and Misconduct Database that is
publicly accessible -
Establish tougher federal penalties for police officers and
prosecutors who violate constitutional rights.
The NNPA represents 211 African American owned newspapers based in 32
states and known as the “Voice of Black America” that reaches 20.1
million readers per week with national offices located in Washington,
DC. www.BlackPressUSA.com
and www.NNPA.Qrg
Contacts
National Newspaper Publishers Association
Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis,
Jr., 202-588-8764
dr.bchavis@nnpa.org
