Harry Belafonte Decries Racial Inequality in ‘Dickensian’ New York City at DeBlasio’s Inauguration

During the ceremonies held on Wednesday celebrating the inauguration of New York City’s Mayor Bill DeBlasio, performer Harry Belafonte delivered an address in which he took aim at the city’s role in contributing to the nation’s prison population. He identified racial disparities in the city’s efforts to reduce crime and called the inequality that plagues the nation’s justice system “Dickensian.”

“While it is encouraging to know that the statistics have indicated a recent drop in our city’s murder rate, New York alarmingly plays a tragic role in the fact that our nation has the largest prison population in the world,” Belafonte said. “Much of that problem stems from issues of race, perpetuated by the depth of human indifference to poverty.”

“Changing the stop-and-frisk law is as important as it is the change of the law is only the tip of the iceberg in fixing our deeply Dickensian justice system,” he continued.

Watch the clip below via WNBC New York:

[Photo via screen grab ]

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