Editor’s Note: This article is part of our ongoing process to amplify the voices of our black community and make sure we report on the important issues in our community. Please let us know your thoughts and feedback.
Since the brutal death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, there have been massive protests around the globe. These protests demand racial justice and an end to police brutality and systemic racism. Even amid a pandemic, his death seems to be of historic proportions. On May 25, George Floyd was arrested by the Minneapolis police under the suspicion of using a counterfeit $20 bill. Contrary to the original police report, a video circulated on social media revealed a police officer kneeling on his neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds despite Floyd saying repeatedly, “I can’t breathe,” before losing consciousness. He was later pronounced dead at the hospital.
Floyd’s death came on the heels of the deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, murdered by vigilantes in Georgia, and Breonna Taylor, killed in her apartment by police during a no-knock raid. All of these events culminated in a nationwide backlash against racism and violence against black people in particular. Historically, these events were not new. Floyd’s plea of “I can’t breathe” was said by Eric Garner in 2014 before his death at the hands of an NYPD officer. These incidents illustrate the continued racial injustice and discrimination pervasive in America.
Immediately after the video of Floyd’s death surfaced on social media, protests began in Minneapolis and quickly spread to other cities across the country. In Minneapolis, news coverage focused on the destruction of buildings and police vehicles. The National Guard was deployed in an attempt to curb the spread of fires and looting and enforce curfews in cities around the country. Protesters were met with non-lethal projectiles, such as rubber bullets and tear gas, in an attempt to clear crowds. In many instances, these tactics were deployed on peaceful crowds. On June 1, peaceful protesters were violently cleared from Lafayette Square in Washington, D.C. to allow President Trump to walk to a church near the White House for a photo opportunity.
Instances of violence have largely subsided while protests have continued throughout the country. On June 6, hundreds of thousands of people gathered in cities all over the country. Increased hostilities and continued police brutality have only fueled the protesters. The death of Rayshard Brooks on June 13, at a Wendy’s drive-thru in Atlanta, sparked even more protests, adding his name to the list of black people killed by cops.
Protesters are calling for police reform and accountability. Specifically, the slogan “Defund the Police” has been circulating, and the Black Lives Matter website has a petition supporting it. The misconception of this slogan is that “defunding the police” means getting rid of police departments and leaving communities unsafe, but its true meaning is to redistribute city budgets away from police departments and into community initiatives such as schools, healthcare, and youth programs. Already, legislators have committed to various changes, the most notable being the Minneapolis City Council unanimously voting to “dismantle” the Minneapolis Police Department and to replace it with a community based policing initiative.
The increased awareness of police brutality and racial discrimination has led many corporations and organizations to release statements and pledge changes to their collectives. Netflix, YouTube, HBO, and Amazon all tweeted support for the Black Lives Matter movement and many have added resources to their interfaces. Still, HBO has come under fire for temporarily pulling Gone With the Wind off of its newly launched HBO Max due to the movie’s depiction of slavery. NASCAR is facing backlash from its fans after the decision made to ban the Confederate flag from all of its races. The NFL commissioner Roger Goodell released a statement apologizing for dismissing past peaceful protests within the league but received criticism for failing to mention Colin Kaepernick, a former 49ers quarterback who started a peaceful movement to kneel during the national anthem in protest of police brutality. Additionally, legislation to change the name of military bases named after Confederate generals has also been introduced in Congress with bipartisan support.
At the time of writing, the protests have continued for almost three weeks and are not showing signs of slowing down. The protesters are demanding conspicuous change and responses from people in power to examine the systems that reinforce racial discrimination. This is happening all over the world, with protests in Ireland, the UK, Brazil, Australia, Spain, Germany, France, Syria, Mexico, and many other countries. The support for this movement will be historic and could result in significant justice and change.