Long Beach Tells Teens To Pick Up Saggy Pants

Long Beach Tells Teens To Pick Up Saggy Pants

Call for ‘respect’ during Black History Month

February 3, 2011 12:17 PM

Repost from:
http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2011/02/03/long-beach-tells-teens-to-pick-up-saggy-pants/

(Getty Images)

LONG BEACH (CBS) — City leaders want young people in Long Beach to do two things this February: pick ‘em up and keep ‘em up.

Bishop William Ervin along with Carson City Councilman Mike Gipson are calling on black children and teens to “pull up their pants on their waist” as a sign of respect during Black History Month.

KNX 1070′s Ron Kilgore reports their message to young men who wear their pants down around their knees is simple: “You can have the swag without the sag”.

Listen to the full report

Community leaders say the plan is not just for cultural purposes, but may have legal benefits as well: sagging pants are often used for profiling purposes by law enforcement agencies.