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Roland Martin, host of TV One‘s flagship morning program, NewsOne Now called on national women’s groups to speak out on the abuse suffered by a 14-year-old African American girl at the hands of a McKinney police officer.

During his commentary Martin said, “I specifically called out the National Organization for Women on their silence, because all too often when cases involving Black women NOW has been missing in action.

He added, “When something happens involving African American women typically you’ll have civil rights organizations who will step up, but feminist groups have to also use their voice. They need to be on the stage as well because you can’t say that you care about women, but then you only care about women who are non-Black.”

Martin also cited Emily’s List and Concerned Women for America, saying, “If you choose to call yourself ‘Concerned Women for America,’ you should be concerned about all women in America.”

Martin said these and other organizations “should be willing to use their voices, and not simply come to use when they want something as well — when they want a particular issue to be advanced.”

“We have to be willing to call folks out and be willing to challenge them and be willing to speak to power,” said Martin.

“I cannot as a husband, I cannot as a brother, I cannot as an uncle, to nine nieces, sit silent and watch as organizations in this country sit silently by and don’t say a damn thing when Black women are being mishandled — abused by cops.”

Martin closed his perspective by saying, “When it comes to our women being criticized, our women being mishandled, our women being attacked, our women being killed — we expect you to show up, we expect you to speak out, we expect you to use your voice for good.”

Watch Roland Martin’s entire commentary in the video clip above and then watch the NewsOne Now panel discussion on the McKinney police abuse incident in the video clip below featuring Dr. Umar Johnson, Attorney Monique Pressley, Lauren Victoria Burke, Managing Editor of Politic365.com and Joia Jefferson Nuri, Founder and CEO of In The Public Eye Communications.

Be sure to watch “NewsOne Now” with Roland Martin, weekdays at 9 a.m. EST on TV One.

Subscribe to the “NewsOne Now” Audio Podcast on iTunes.

See Also:

McKinney Pool Posted Signs Thanking Officers After Brutal Treatment Of Young Black Teenagers

Roland Martin Calls On Feminist Groups To Speak Up On McKinney Abuse  was originally published on newsone.com