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Florida official faces criticism over showing of Chris Rock video to NAACP leaders

By BRENDAN FARRINGTON, AP

TALLAHASSEE, Florida (AP) - Six black lawmakers called for the removal of the head of the state's juvenile justice department for showing a video by comedian Chris Rock at a meeting with civil rights activists.

One lawmaker called the black comedian's 4-minute skit - "How To Not Get Your Ass Kicked By The Police" - "absolutely racist." A member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People who attended the viewing last July said no one complained.

The skit, which came from Rock's former HBO comedy show, was shown in the office of Juvenile Justice Secretary Anthony Schembri - the former head of New York City's jails who was the model for the 1991-1995 offbeat television show "The Commish."

Rock's tips for young blacks include driving with a white friend, and turning down loud rap music when pulled over. The video also shows scenes where actors dressed as police pretend to beat up blacks who didn't follow Rock's advice - a driver who jumps out of his car during a traffic stop and starts yelling profanities, and a man who jumps a subway turnstile while smoking marijuana and carrying a gun.

"I found this as being totally and absolutely racist, there's no way around it," said Democratic state Sen. Mandy Dawson, who was joined by five other black lawmakers. "It doesn't make sense to me to show this type of video under any circumstances to the NAACP."

Schembri's spokesman, Tom Denham, said the video was part of a discussion on racial profiling. He said Schembri, who is white, previously used it when teaching college courses as a way to open up discussion on profiling.