RICE APPLAUDS MERCK CEO WHO RESIGNED FROM MANUFACTURING COUNCIL  

‘…it is through unity where we find strength.’

TRENTON – Senator Ronald L. Rice, who serves as chair of the New Jersey Legislative Black Caucus, issued the following statement today in response to the CEO of Merck Pharmaceuticals, Kenneth C. Frazier’s decision to resign from a federal advisory council, citing the president’s failure to explicitly rebuke the white supremacists for their actions in Charlottesville, Virginia:

“I would like to commend Mr. Frazier for his brave actions in stepping down from this council and in standing up for the history of struggle that black folks have faced through the years.

“His actions show that, despite making it as a CEO of a large corporation, he is still in touch with where he came from. The struggle that African Americans have faced over history is what made him who he is and it goes to show that he understands that he is representing the long history and struggle in the black community.

“To the fellow members the Legislative Black Caucus and the the members of the Black Elected Officials Policy Alliance, and other civil rights leaders and organizations, racism is bad in and of itself. Unfortunately, condemning racism or denying its existence in 2017, is worse than racism itself. It is the act of condoning or denying racism that creates events like Charlottesville. It creates failing schools. It creates high unemployment for black people, more than any other ethnic group. It is what creates high incarceration rates for blacks in the country and in New Jersey. I personally believe that those New Jersey corporations on the president’s council based in New Jersey such as Campbell’s Soup, Johnson & Johnson and Newell Brands who did not speak out, should have the courage to make a strong public statement confronting President Trump’s attitude and the violence in Charlottesville, even if they didn’t remove themselves from the council.

“One of the reasons for the racism and bias women and others experience throughout the country, including here in New Jersey is that people don’t want to publicly talk about it. It is for this reason and others that the members of the Legislative Black Caucus and members of the Black Elected Officials Policy Alliance meet on a regular basis to discuss policy issues facing the black community. We don’t discuss politics, we discuss the issues that will help us set an agenda to help the African American Community succeed; it is through unity where we find strength.

“The members of the Legislative Black Caucus would like to offer our deepest sympathies and condolences to the family members of those who lost their lives in the tragic events in Charlottesville. We also wish those who were injured a speedy recovery. On behalf of the residents of New Jersey our members will continue to speak out against those individuals and organizations who wish to divide our state and our nation.”