Leadership Conference on Civil Rights Opposing Amendment No. 1251
HATE CRIME STATISTICS ACT (Senate — February 8, 1990)
Congressional Record [S1070]
Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, Washington, DC, July 18, 1989.
Dear Senator: The Leadership Conference on Civil rights, a coalition of more than 180
national organizations, representing minorities, women, persons with disabilities, older
Americans, labor, and the major religious groups strongly supports enactment of the Hate
Crimes Statistics Act, S. 419. We urge you to support the Hate Crimes Statistics Act
because we believe that its enactment will allow the nation to begin to address the
apparent increase in violent crimes motivated by racism, anti-semitism and other forms of
bigotry.
American history is rife with crimes of hate against minorities. Lynchings, cross
burnings and bombings have unfortunately been experienced by many Americans as they have
struggled for freedom. Furthermore, incidents in Detroit, Michigan, Howard Beach, New
York, and Forseyth County, Georgia, as well as the alarming instances of racial assaults
on minority students on college campuses across the country speak loudly for enactment of
this legislation.
All Americans are entitled to live free of the fear of intimidation and violence
because of the color of their skin, their religious beliefs, their sexual orientation or
their ethnicity. We urge you to support the Hate Crimes Statistics Act and oppose any
amendments which frustrate the simple mission of this legislation: the collection of
statistics on crimes motivated by prejudice and bigotry.
Sincerely,
BEN HOOKS,
Chairperson.
RALPH NEAS,
Executive Director.
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