By the Time I Get to Arizona 2010 is the second hip-hop track in the past couple of weeks that has been released in response to the Arizona immigration bill. If you like this, check out Chuck D’s Tear Down That Wall. After the break, check out Toki Wright’s statement.

This statement is from Toki Wright in response to Arizona’s immigration bill:

Dear Friends, Family, and Allies,

On Friday, April 23rd 2010 at approximately 1:30pm Governor Jan Brewer of Arizona signed into law the most aggressive bill against undocumented residents in the United States. Under Senate Bill 1070 (SB 1070) local police departments have been given the authority to identify, detain, and deport anyone they deem to be illegally in the US based solely on their suspicion. Yet we ask, “what does illegal look like?”

We the people believe that this is not only a decision deeply rooted in racism, but also a political plot to cause disruption between the State and Federal government at the expense of hard working families. The same stigma that has plagued people of color in unfair hiring and housing practices, education, police profiling and more has now been passed into so-called “law.” Law is nothing but an opinion reinforced by intimidation. Also, how can you call someone else illegal when you live on stolen land?

We won’t take this sitting down. Resist. Fight.

In Solidarity,
Toki Wright
Rhymesayers/Soultools