(ThyBlackMan.com) May 25 marked five years since the murder of George Floyd. Floyd’s death should never stop being a catalyst for social change. His death illustrates how a typical, nonviolent encounter with law enforcement can go wrong, resulting in another needless death of an innocent person. His death revealed the depth of our commitments to humanity as individuals and a nation. For more than nine minutes, while police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on the back of Floyd’s neck, Floyd repeatedly cried out, “I can’t breathe,” which became a protest slogan against police brutality.
I do not believe any human being, Black, white, or brown, should die in police custody under those circumstances. Nor do I think a person’s life should be taken away over a counterfeit $20 bill. Many people who shared that sentiment protested nationally and worldwide in record numbers. As we live in a nation where many people view situations through a racial lens rather than a lens of humanity and common decency, all citizens have the moral responsibility to resist any form of inhumane treatment at the hands of police officers regardless of the race of the victim or the officer.
The George Floyd protest movement began hours after his murder when protests in support of police accountability and racial justice started in Minneapolis and then spread quickly nationwide and to over 2,000 cities and towns in over 60 countries. Polls estimated that between 15 million and 26 million people had participated in demonstrations in the United States at some point. In the aftermath of Floyd’s murder, there was a surge in support for DEI initiatives and calls for police reform. Unfortunately, the surge could not be sustained.
Trump was under tremendous pressure to respond during his first term as president. At the time of the protest movement, Trump issued an executive order to reform policing, which included tightened use-of-force rules, banned chokeholds, steered federal dollars toward state and local police that meet certain standards, and encouraged initiatives that better address vulnerable populations’ needs and lessen the burdens that law enforcement face in responding to them. The public pressure placed on Trump made a difference in his actions.
If you take away the pressure and exposure of national and worldwide protests, the true Trump is free to emerge and lead the backlash against progressive police reform initiatives. As a result of the backlash, the nation reversed course by taking two steps forward and three steps backward. Corporate America flip-flopped on its commitments by scaling back or eliminating DEI policies and programs. The division within the Justice Department responsible for enforcing the nation’s federal civil rights laws has seen a mass exodus of over 100 attorneys, as confirmed by DOJ Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon, who leads the division.
The resignations come as the department shifts away from policies such as enforcing voting rights laws and taking strict action against unconstitutional policing. The Trump administration moved to cancel agreements to overhaul the police departments in Minneapolis and Louisville, both accused of widespread abuses.
Individuals and organizations with political and corporate power who oppose DEI efforts find themselves against the fundamental idea of having a multiracial society based on fairness and respect. This is the statement they are making about their decisions. Therefore, those in opposition are also fundamentally resistant to the methods such as consent decrees and other forms of police reform used to achieve a fair and just multiracial society. Those who are sincere and firm in their support for diversity efforts and for what George Floyd’s death means to police reform will show their commitment to the long-term fight for justice while also remaining unwavering in their resistance to any form of intense backlash.
“(George Floyd) was a realization by many across the country that this open murder was something that was not only appalling but it brought full circle the question of the treatment of Black people, particularly Black males, in this country,” said NAACP President Derrick Johnson. “But the other side of that story is an unfortunate fatigue in this country.” Experts say periods of backlash aren’t new. Throughout American history, including after the civil rights movement, the nation has experienced periods of “racial fatigue” or resentment after progress was made toward securing rights for marginalized groups.
As we live in a country where many people view situations through a financial lens of greed rather than a lens of humanity and common decency, the form of resentment may be an economic regret when having to pay a fair wage.
So, the question is, was George Floyd’s death in vain? “Racial fatigue goes both ways when we grow tired of the racist backlash. At some point, there has to be a reset with public outrage resulting in a backlash to the backlash.” At some point in future election cycles, the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act should be passed. The Trump administration felt the pressure before; they need to feel it again.
Written by David W. Marshall
Official website; https://davidwmarshallauthor.com/
One may purchase his book, which is titled;
Nothing have change my fellow black brother and sisters.
Racist Police officers are still killing innocent black men, women and LGBT; More so, we still have racist white civilians, coconuts aka Hispanic and Asians calling the police on black people for no reason: yet, these same asian and Hispanics are taking all the black dollars from the black community whenever we proceed to shop in their stores, restaurants and grocery stores, beauty shop, nail saloons etc…
Enough is enough black America and we should never forget about George Floyd and we should never allow any racist and corrupt white cop to abuse his power via the use of force by placing our young black men in a choke hold or putting their racist knee’s on the necks of our black children. We should stop them by any means necessary to include violence in the same way that the Jewish community protect each other against a palestinina child throwing rocks at them. All black men, black women and black LGBT should never stand by and see one of our member of our community loose their life at the hands of theses racist demonic white demons.
All African Americans, Afro Caribeans, and Afro Latinos should stick together and excercist your 2nd ammemndment rights by legally purchasing, guns, rifles, shotguns, ammunitions. body armored, kevlar helmets and survival gear etc.. in order to protect ourselves, our families, our friend and our community from the onslaught of racist whtie America and those who support and stand with racism towards our oppressed black communities. We must stand and fight them to the death; even though, we may not have any weapons of mass destruction, we should fight all racist white, hispanics, asian and middle easterns to the death or die trying. Yes, we should give them a good bloody hammering and becomer proud black Martyrs.
Likewise, we should go after those people who call the police on us for no reason which usually result in the death of a black person. In the Case of George Floyd, We should also hold the person who call the police on him accountable for his death and we should teach him a lesson to no call the police on a black person for a stupid reason.
black America, we are living in dangerous time and we must be ready, there is war in the horizon between Racist America against Iran, China and Russia; therefore, we should stand on the side and let these racist people fight on their own since they have never value any black men, women or black LGBT that has fought and die for this country. Remembeer, many black men who went to war for America against North korea, Vetnam, germany, Japan etc.. upon returning home, racist America still called us the N-WORD and white people still call the police on us for walking down the streets and the racist police officers still planted guns and drugs in the vehicles and pockets of black military veterans. Therefore, we should not fight white America and we should stand on the side line and wait for them to drop dead.