Statement on Del. Susan McComas' Racist Comments on the Floor of the Maryland House of Delegates

The Harford County Branch of the NAACP is condemning the racist statements made by Del. Susan McComas during a floor discussion on the Maryland House of Delegates.

During a Feb. 24 debate about education, Del. McComas displayed profound ignorance by dragging out an old racist trope while lamenting how society and families have changed, saying "the Black fathers aren't as prevalent." Even worse, she acknowledged the bias before making her statement.

Del. Jazz Lewis called out Del. McComas on the floor. We want to thank him for doing so. The Harford NAACP asks that Del. McComas apologize to all Black families, especially to Black fathers, and explain why she felt compelled to bring a racial component to this debate. We also strongly urge the House of Delegates to censure and condemn Del. McComas for using those racist and harmful comments on the floor.

The Harford NAACP is deeply concerned by Del. McComas' statement and by the clear bias it indicates. Our elected officials must represent all of us. They must work to create equal opportunities for all constituents. They are not doing so when they choose stereotypes and tropes to describe their constituents.

When elected officials rely on racist tropes and generalizations, they cause harm to their constituents. Del. McComas’s racist remarks harm Harford County families.

This is not the first time we've called her out for these kinds of remarks. She voted against police reform, repealing racist overtures in the state song and has said in a public forum that Black people hate the police. This type of behavior only serves to impede progress and collaboration. Harford needs political representation that espouses 21st century ideas, especially as our county becomes more diverse.