(ELMONT, N.Y.) – The following is a statement from Nassau County Legislator Carrié Solages (D – Lawrence) –
“Yesterday, Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman’s administration filed court papers seeking to ban the outdoor performances that are scheduled as part of HOT 97’s Summer Jam event at UBS Arena on Sunday, June 4,” Nassau County Legislator Carrié Solages (D – Lawrence) said. “While it is typically my policy to never comment on County litigation, I must make an exception in this case. The harmful stereotyping contained within those papers is deeply insulting to the Black and Brown communities that form a large portion of hip-hop’s dedicated fan base, and the dog-whistle rhetoric alluding to ‘riot-like behavior’ is particularly offensive.”
“Furthermore, I believe the motivations behind the County’s actions are disingenuous. HOT 97 certainly hasn’t kept this event a secret, and the fact that the administration waited until just days before the concert to file rushed, error-riddled court papers supports my belief that the County Executive’s primary motivation is to exploit this event so that he can score political points with the extreme MAGA wing of his base,” Legislator Solages added.
“This is the second time in little more than a week that County Executive Blakeman and his administration have used taxpayer funded resources to engage in actions that fanned the flames of racial animus and exploited hot-button issues. There is simply no place for such divisive and disrespectful pandering in our public discourse – especially when it comes at taxpayer expense,” Legislator Solages concluded.