Racial Profiling (1219)

Community concern about racial profiling reached an all-time high when in April of 1998 white troopers on the turnpike were accused of firing at a van carrying four unarmed men of color. Controversy peaked in February of 1999 when Gov. Whitman abruptly fired State Police Superintendent Carl Williams following his published remarks stating that minorities were responsible for most of the marijuana and cocaine traffic. Community leaders and supporters involved themselves in efforts to force the government and the state police department to take steps to try to eliminate the problem. Some of those leaders joined us to discuss their views on the problem and how they believe it should be handled.

Studio guests - Rev. Reginald Jackson, Executive Director, Black Ministers Council of New Jersey - Kevin Keenan, ACLU-NJ - William Buckman, Attorney