Hank Johnson: “A few weeks ago, I came to the floor and said it felt like open season on Black men in America. People around the…”

“A few weeks ago, I came to the floor and said it felt like open season on Black men in America. People around the country agree that the police killings undermine the efforts of good police and break the trust between police and their communities. Black women and girls face the same threats and many more. Unsettling video of a police officer in Texas manhandling an unarmed 15-year-old girl in a bathing suit served as a wake-up call to all of us. The arrest and death of Sandra Bland reminds us that the fight for equal justice under the law continues. Black women also face a unique and, too often, unreported violence: sexual assault. In Oklahoma, an officer is on trial for sexually assaulting eight Black women. Tragically, this story is not unique. The challenges Black men face are real, but I was humbled to learn how unequal justice affects Black women. Black women are the fastest growing prison population, and their stories must be told if we are going to break this trend. Mr. Speaker, it is open season on all Americans. ____________________”