ATLANTA – The Georgia Legislative Black Caucus (GLBC), chaired by State Representative Karen Bennett (D-Stone Mountain), today issued the following statement in response to recent reports of a 16-year-old high school student’s alleged plans to attack parishioners at the Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Gainesville, Georgia:
“Today’s events are yet another example of how racism continues to erode the hearts of many, even our youth. We are saddened by the notion of a 16-year-old girl targeting a black church with the intention to commit harm. We thank the Gainesville police and other law enforcement officials for their swift action to prevent yet another national tragedy. Now more than ever we need to end the incivility of hatred and further advance the process of becoming ‘one nation, under God, indivisible.’ As a caucus, we intend to press for state policy in the form of passing a hate crime bill that protects the civil rights of all and further penalizes those who commit hate crimes. We will not allow such actions to define us, but rather push us to do better and be better.”
Established in 1975, the Georgia Legislative Black Caucus is a 501(c)3 non-profit, nonpartisan organization comprised of 65 Georgia House and Senate members.
For more information about the GLBC, please click here.
Representative Karen Bennett represents the citizens of Districts 94, which includes portions of DeKalb and Gwinnett counties. She was elected to the House of Representatives in 2012 and currently serves on the Code Revision, Economic Development & Tourism, Health & Human Services and Regulated Industries committees.
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