Mayor Douglas H. Palmer, Panelist at 'Language of Respect' Forum

Mayor Douglas H. Palmer, Panelist at 'Language of Respect' Forum

Series of Town Hall Meetings Dedicated to the Promotion of Positive Language

TRENTON, N.J., April 30 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The United States Conference of Mayors President and Trenton, NJ Mayor Douglas H. Palmer, today will participate in The Language of Respect forum held at the student center on the campus of Rutgers University.

Prompted by the remarks made by former radio personality Don Imus, the newly formed Language of Respect Coalition is sponsoring the event, which is slated as the first in a series of town hall meetings intended to engage students and community leaders in a dialogue about the tone and content of language used in media, politics, and entertainment.

The coalition, led by Reverend DeForest B. Soaries of First Baptist Church Lincoln Gardens, was formed by ministers and community leaders who believe that disrespectful and derogatory language, such as Don Imus' remarks about the Rutgers women's basketball team, harms people and lowers quality of life; and it aims to motivate individuals and institutions to use language that nurtures and promotes respect for all people.

The event will be moderated by WNBC TV anchor and correspondent Pat Battle, and other panelists include Jerome Harris, Chairman, Black Issues Convention of New Jersey; Daniel San Pietro, President, Hispanic Directors Association; and Dr. Deborah Gray White, Professor, Rutgers University and author of "Aren't I a Woman? Female Slaves in the Plantation South"; plus a Rutgers student representative and several high school students.

In his remarks, Mayor Palmer will underscore his comments originally released in direct response to Don Imus:

"This is an opportunity for us to ... bring Americans together. We need to be careful not to let this divide us further and instead use this as an opportunity to talk about race and equality. ... If you're going to be outraged about what Imus said, be outraged about what you hear each and every day in your streets and in your neighborhoods. We have to clean up our own house before we jump on others. ... If it's wrong for a white man to use racially offensive language, it's also wrong for a black man to use the 'n' word, the 'b' word or any other demeaning language. Nobody has the right, regardless of what the color of their skin is, to demean women."

For the entire statement from Mayor Palmer regarding Imus' remarks, please visit http://www.usmayors.org/.

The U.S. Conference of Mayors is the official nonpartisan organization of cities with populations of 30,000 or more. There are 1,139 such cities in the country today, each represented in the Conference by its chief elected official, the Mayor.

Source: United States Conference of Mayors

CONTACT: Elena Temple of the United States Conference of Mayors,
+1-202-861-6719, etemple@usmayors.org

Web site:

http://www.usmayors.org/

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