T HE C OUNCIL

ROBERT JACKSON 7th District Manhattan Co-Chair

JUMAANE D. WILLIAMS 45TH District Brooklyn Co-Vice Chair SARA GONZALEZ 38TH District Brooklyn Co-Vice Chair MARGARET CHIN 1ST District - Manhattan Secretary RUBEN WILLS 28TH District Queens Treasurer MARIA DEL CARMEN ARROYO 17th District Bronx Ex-officio Past Chair HELEN DIANE FOSTER 16TH District Bronx Ex-officio Past Chair CHARLES BARRON 42ND District Brooklyn LEROY COMRIE 27TH District Queens INEZ E. DICKENS 9TH District - Manhattan MATHIEU EUGENE 40TH District Brooklyn JULISSA FERRERAS 21TH District - Queens LETITIA JAMES 35TH District Brooklyn ANDY KING 12th District Bronx PETER KOO 20TH District - Queens MELISSA MARK-VIVERITO 8TH District Manhattan ERIK MARTIN-DILAN 37TH District Brooklyn DARLENE MEALY 41ST District - Brooklyn ROSIE MENDEZ 2ND District Manhattan ANNABEL PALMA 18TH District Bronx DIANA REYNA 34TH District Brooklyn DONOVAN RICHARDS 31ST District -- Queens JOEL RIVERA 15TH District Bronx YDANIS RODRIGUEZ 10TH District Manhattan DEBORAH ROSE 49TH District Staten Island ALBERT VANN 36TH District Brooklyn ALEXANDER RIAS Director of BLAC Affairs

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FERNANDO CABRERA 14th District Bronx Co-Chair

B LACK , L ATINO AND A SIAN C AUCUS

**FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE** March 21, 2013 New York, NY It is both alarming and troubling to hear that accusations of racism are being thrown at our colleague, Councilwoman Margaret Chin. Since her election in 2010, her character, honesty, integrity and fortitude as a representative of all of her constituents has shone brightly. As co-chairs of the Black, Latino and Asian Caucus of the New York City Council, we have worked hand-in-hand with Councilwoman Chin as members of the Executive Committee. We have worked together to ensure that cultural institutions are protected and open to the public, that youth services, immigrant services, HIV/AIDS services, and criminal justice servicesto name a feware targeted toward the communities that need them; specifically communities of color, and low income. Councilwoman Chin has been a vocal member of the Caucus in its stance to support changes to stop-question-and-frisk; a policy that disproportionately targets our communities. As an officer of our Caucus, the Councilwoman has provided leadership and direction in producing an employment and small business development expo that specifically targeted job seekers and business owners in communities of color. This is a just a snapshot of the work that the Councilwoman has done as a member of our Caucus, and her advocacy and legislative ability in representing Council District 1 goes even further. Collectively, this Caucus represents over 4.8 million New York City residents and 27 of 51 Council members across all five boroughs, with the sole purpose of supporting, strengthening and amplifying the needs of the diverse populations of this City. As Co-Chairs of our Caucus, it is unbelievable that such claims of racism would be made toward someone with a record and a career that speaks firmly of her support of diversity and inclusion. In Unity,

Robert Jackson Co-Chair

Fernando Cabrera Co-Chair

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