Congressional Black Caucus
Floor Speech
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Mrs. BEATTY. Mr. Speaker, I rise this evening as co-anchor along with my classmate and scholar, Congressman Hakeem Jeffries, from the Eighth District of New York, for tonight's Congressional Black Caucus Special Order hour, Equal Justice Under the Law: Criminal Justice Reform and Challenging the School-to-Prison Pipeline.
Congressman Jeffries leads by example. He is a member of the Criminal Justice Task Force, and he has a long personal and professional history of being a Brother's Keeper.
This evening the Congressional Black Caucus comes to the House floor to discuss the current state of America's criminal justice system and the necessary reform, reform that will allow us to invest in our communities and expand opportunities for all Americans.
Mr. Speaker, the school-to-prison pipeline is an epidemic that is plaguing schools across the Nation. Mr. Speaker, the need and appetite to reform our Federal criminal justice system has been building for years, and now it is clear that there is consensus that the time is now to take meaningful action.
The school-to-prison pipeline refers to the policies and practices that pushes our Nation's children, especially our most at-risk children, out of the classroom and into the juvenile and criminal justice system. Far too often, students are expended, expelled, or even arrested for minor offenses that lead to visits to the principal's office a thing of the past.
Statistics reflect that these policies disproportionately target students of color and those with a history of abuse, neglect, poverty, or learning disabilities. Those who are unnecessarily forced out of school become stigmatized and fall behind in their studies, Mr. Speaker. Many eventually decide to drop out of school altogether, and many others commit crimes in their community.
Former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder discussed the issue in a speech to the American Bar Association in 2013, stating that rigid discipline policies transformed too many educational institutions from the doorway of opportunity into the gateway to the criminal justice system and that a minor school disciplinary offense should put a student in the principal's office, not in the police precinct.
According to recent data by the Department of Education, African American students are arrested far more than their White classmates. Black and Hispanic students represent more than 70 percent of those involved in school-related arrests or referrals to law enforcement. Currently, African Americans make up two-fifths of combined youth today, Mr. Speaker.
In my home State of Ohio, the impact of suspensions and expulsions on communities is striking. In Ohio, a history of prior suspensions from school is the number one factor that leads children to dropping out of school. Children who do not finish high school, as we all are aware, are more likely to end up incarcerated or in our juvenile or criminal justice system and are 3.5 times more likely to be arrested.
Approximately 82 percent of the adult population is composed of high school dropouts. Mr. Speaker, unfortunately, this is a pipeline that reflects the prioritization of incarceration over education. But, Mr. Speaker, I come today as a member of the Congressional Black Caucus because I believe we can disrupt the pipeline.
To do this, we need to be honest about the opportunity gaps that exist across our country and in our schools because you cannot talk about the school-to-prison pipeline without discussing what needs to be provided as economic opportunities.
We need better educational chances for our young people. We need more support to our families so that they can do the best job that they can or that they are capable of doing to help support their own children. We must confront prejudices in our Nation head-on.
That is why initiatives like the White House's My Brother's Keeper is so important. My Brother's Keeper Task Force is a coordinated Federal effort to address persistent opportunity gaps faced by boys and young men of color and ensure that all young people can reach their full potential.
Mr. Speaker, lastly, this past weekend I met with the dynamic men of the Columbus chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Incorporated, in my district and saw My Brother's Keeper work firsthand.
I learned of their many forms of being role models, as being community mentors for at-risk students, particularly young males, who are in need of inspiration and counsel regarding their choice of a life's career.
The mentoring men of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Incorporated, are men who are doctors, lawyers, government officials, teachers, and entrepreneurs, just to name a few.
Mr. Speaker, these men are role models for the community. They bought a house in my district, and they use that home as an anchor to provide opportunities and leadership development, professional networking, and positive reinforcement.
Tonight it is important for me to put a face on what we need to do as one small example to stop the school-to-prison pipeline. I salute Philip Shotwell, Polemarch; Richard Crockett, 1st Vice Polemarch; Attorney Byron Potts; Dr. Gus Parker; and Board of Directors Nathaniel Jordan for being men who understand, if we are going to stop the school-to-prison pipeline, we need to look at our own districts.
A young man asked them why he should stay in school, and they replied: Young man, you are your own future. We are relying on you to be a law-abiding citizen, educated, self-sufficient, and a good citizen because we don't want you to be a statistic in the school-to-prison pipeline.
Mr. Speaker, tonight you will hear many stories, you will hear facts, and you will hear about legislation.
Let me end by saying that I am proud to be a cosponsor of the Safe, Accountable, Fair, Effective (SAFE) Justice Reinvestment Act of 2015, H.R. 2944, a bill that recognizes the importance of mentoring and reducing recidivism and helps offenders think through the decisions that confront them when they leave prison.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Mrs. BEATTY. I thank Congressman Butterfield.
We certainly agree with you that the criminal justice system is broken. That is why the Congressional Black Caucus is here tonight--to make sure that we are prepared to outline the steps and the legislation that is going to be in the forefront. I thank the gentleman for his leadership in making this a top priority for the Congressional Black Caucus.
Mr. Speaker, it is now my honor and privilege to yield to the gentleman from the Third Congressional District of Virginia. He is a true scholar, an attorney, and someone who is a leader on tonight's topic. He is someone who has worked tirelessly to make sure that we do more than just come and stand and talk about this issue tonight. He comes to talk about real reform, to talk about making a difference in our broken criminal justice system. He is my friend, Congressman Bobby Scott.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Mrs. BEATTY. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Scott for clearly articulating to us why we cannot let our criminal justice system remain on this trajectory.
Mr. Speaker, I now yield to the Congresswoman from the 13th District of California. My colleague and my friend is someone who travels the world advocating for those who live in poverty, advocating for those who are incarcerated in this broken criminal justice system that we are focusing on tonight.
I yield to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee).
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Mrs. BEATTY. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Lee. When people ask us why are we doing this today, I thank the gentlewoman for reminding us that the system is stacked against us and that we have had the future of so many of our young folks ripped away from them.
Fudge). She is from the 11th Congressional District. She is an attorney. She has served as a former mayor. She is the immediate past chair of the Congressional Black Caucus.
She is someone who gives us advice. I remember her saying to us: Push the envelope because you are the voice for the voiceless. Look at the legislative issues that will make a difference in the lives of others.
So tonight we come to talk about equal justice under the law. Mr. Speaker, we come to challenge this House.
It is my great honor to yield to Congresswoman Marcia Fudge.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Mrs. BEATTY. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Fudge for reminding us again of the value and the importance of our work.
Mr. Speaker, at this time, it is indeed my honor to yield time to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Jeffries), who is coanchor of tonight's Congressional Black Caucus Special Order hour.
As I said earlier, Congressman Hakeem Jeffries is not only a scholar, he, too, is an attorney. He is someone who walks the talk. He is someone who has a long history of being a Brother's Keeper.
Mr. Speaker, so tonight, when we discuss this topic, when we talked about the challenge, when we talked about all of the plethora of things that are incorporated in why we must come forward tonight to challenge the criminal justice system which is stacked against us and broken, certainly we have heard the disparities as it relates to African Americans.
So it is indeed my honor to ask my coanchor, Congressman Hakeem Jeffries, to share with us our challenge.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Mrs. BEATTY. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Jeffries for reminding us that the United States makes up less than 5 percent of the world's population, yet incarcerates nearly a quarter of the global prison population.
Thank you for also being on point and reminding us, Mr. Speaker, if we are to reform America's criminal justice system and advance efforts to break the cycles of incarceration in African American communities, in low-income communities, then we must unite and make sure that we pass real legislation.
Mr. Speaker, can you advise me how much time we have left, please.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Mrs. BEATTY. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, at this time, it is indeed my honor to yield to the gentlewoman who hails from the 18th Congressional District of Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee). Of the many things that this Congresswoman does, she serves on the Committee on the Judiciary, she has been a longtime advocate for reforming the criminal justice system. I refer to her as a strong voice, a strong advocate, and, truly, a scholar.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Mrs. BEATTY. Mr. Speaker, let me just end by saying that the urgency is now. In the words of Nelson Mandela, ``It always seems impossible until it's done.'' Tonight the Congressional Black Caucus says: Let's get it done.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Source