Donald M. Payne: “I am glad to be joined by my colleague and friend, the gentlewoman from Illinois, Ms. Robin Kelly. Thank you…”

“I am glad to be joined by my colleague and friend, the gentlewoman from Illinois, Ms. Robin Kelly. Thank you, Congresswoman Kelly, for joining me in coanchoring this Special Order hour tonight. Thank you also to the members of the Congressional Black Caucus and to all those watching from home. Madam Speaker, last month, Freddie Gray, a 25-year-old man Baltimore man, died in police custody from a spinal cord injury. His death, ruled a homicide, has drawn ongoing national attention to the increasingly frayed relations between police and communities throughout the United States. Tonight we come together as a caucus to address the urgent need to reform our criminal justice system and promote police accountability and also to talk about many different issues of diversity in our Nation. Our Nation is at a crossroads. Failure to make meaningful reforms to our criminal justice system risks damaging relations between communities and police beyond repair. But real commonsense reforms that enhance transparency, advance public safety, eradicate discrimination, and instill trust can create a system that works for all Americans. Currently, our law enforcement system and criminal justice system aren't working for African Americans and other minorities. As a result, a meaningful dialogue between law enforcement and the communities they are charged with protecting remains illusive.…”