Click here to subscribe today or Login.
By JOE SYLVESTER Times Leader Staff Writer
Wednesday, December 29, 1999 Page: 3A
WILKES-BARRE – When a Crestwood eighth-grader went before Judge Mark
Ciavarella last week for allegedly writing ethnic threats on the Internet
against black classmates, the judge was appalled by the “trash.”
Ron Felton, president of the National Association for the Advancement of
Colored People’s Wilkes-Barre chapter, said racial hatred among youths is
becoming more common. Felton hopes his organization can help reverse that
trend with its Racial Summit 2000 this spring.
Plans aren’t finalized for what will be the third such racial summit in the
Wilkes-Barre area. But Felton said the focus is set – “Stop the Violence,
Stop the Hate, Save Our Children.”
“This is focusing on the cause of hate crimes,” Felton said. “It seems
there are more young people committing these hate crimes.
“We need to reach these people.”
The gathering, which Felton said would include a cross section of the
community from politicians to students, will look for ways the community can
restrict hate crimes.
Felton said he plans to enlist the help of the Pennsylvania Human Relations
Commission to line up speakers for the half- or full-day summit. He also has
to firm up a location for the meeting, which will take place in March or
April.
The racial summit last spring, held for residents to talk about civil
rights, legal issues and improving communication among the races, was held at
Luzerne County Community College. The 1998 conference, held at Wilkes
University, covered racial social barriers and solutions.
Felton said he wants to find a speaker who was involved with a hate group
to speak to young people at the conference. He said he also will advocate
fairness toward minority children.
“With the increase in racial violence, we don’t want to see minority
children get the most severe discipline,” he said.
Felton said he is concerned minority children might react with violence
against violence.
“We want to see consistency, we want to see fairness,” he said. “We
don’t want to see it escalate to the point of physical confrontation, where
someone gets hurt and families are disrupted. This is a summit for everyone to
get involved.
“We know we’re not going to get all the answers in that one day, but what
were hoping to come away with is an action plan to address that situation.”