Open Letter to Melinda Katz: Elected Officials of Color Call on Katz to Take Down Offensive Ad

We write to express grave concerns about your recent television advertisement, in which you refer to your opponent Tiffany Cabán, as “dangerous.” This advertisement, published in your name, evokes all the worst dog-whistle politics that have been used by Republicans against candidates of color for decades. In this case, your campaign has deployed it against a Latina candidate whose campaign is centered on addressing the mass incarceration that leaves too many Black and Brown people in cages.

During this campaign, you have claimed to believe, like Tiffany, in the need to reform the criminal justice system and respond to the needs of working-class communities of color. To dub the de-carceration of our communities as “dangerous” calls that commitment seriously into question – and has already caused deep offense in our communities.

At bottom, this is not about politics – it’s about criminal justice. The racist projection of people of color as “dangerous” has been the basis for mass incarceration that has terrorized our communities for far too long.

We urge you to take down this offensive ad immediately.

Signed,

State Senator Jessica Ramos

State Senator Gustavo Rivera

State Senator Julia Salazar

State Senator James Sanders

State Senator Luis Sepulveda

State Assemblymember Ron Kim

State Assemblymember Yuh-Line Niou

New York City Council Member Carlos Menchaca

New York City Council Member Antonio Reynoso