Washington, D.C.– Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA), Chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus, released the following statement today in response to President Obama’s comments on the arrest of noted scholar Henry Louis Gates:

“We agree with the president when he said, ‘that there's a long history in this country of African-Americans and Latinos being stopped by law enforcement disproportionately.’

“What the president said was honest and it was right. There is a long sad history in this county of African Americans and other people of color being subjected to racial profiling.

“Now is the moment for this country to tackle this issue as well as the many inequalities in the criminal justice system. The arrest of Dr. Gates is an unfortunate reminder that we are not yet a color-blind society and must work each and every day to complete the unfinished business of ending racial discrimination in America.”