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Lane NAACP Head Speaks Out on Michael Brown Shooting

KLCC's Claude Offenbacher spoke Tuesday with Eric Richardson.  He asked the Lane County NAACP president his reaction to the decision not to indict the white policeman who fatally shot an African-American youth in Ferguson, Missouri.  What did Richardson think we should take away from the Grand Jury's position?

Richardson:  "The United States and our society have a long way to go when it comes to the issue of race.  We have really just started to touch the issue.  There's going to be a lot of soul-searching to do about where we're going in the future.  The idea of two separate Americas is still alive, unfortunately."

The Ferguson shooting is only one of several American stories of highly publicized killings of young African-Americans by white law enforcement officers.  How can we prevent a similar event in Oregon?

Richardson: "It's about law enforcement communicating with their own personnel about the importance of proper policing, and of respect for communities, no matter where we find them or who they are."

Eric Richardson is president of the Lane County NAACP. He was reached at the annual Governor's summit on Disproportionate Minority Contact  at Lane Community College.

Lane County Civil Rights Groups are holding a vigil Tuesday evening at 5 at Wayne Morse Free Speech Plaza in Eugene. It's in reaction to the Missouri Grand Jury verdict.

Claude Offenbacher was a reporter and host at KLCC from 1999-2012. He currently volunteers as front desk support and PSA writer.
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