It has happened again.
Police officers have publicly executed an unarmed black man. On May 25, 2020, Officer
Derek Chauvin nonchalantly pressed his knee into the neck of George Floyd as he
pleaded for air…his life. Ultimately he pleaded for his deceased mother,
knowing, I believe, that he would soon meet her. Chauvin and three other
officers, without care or emotion, watched the life seep out of George Floyd
over an alleged $20 crime, while a crowd of onlookers begged the officers to
give him relief. First Minnesota, and then America exploded.
Cities all over the
country…the world…have erupted in response to this latest case of brutality.
Some have erupted into flame; a flame fueled by Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna
Taylor and Philandro Castille and Sandra Bland, and Mike Brown and… Unfortunately there is not
enough space in this blog for me to name all those black men and women who have
been murdered at the hands of those who were supposed to protect and serve
them.
This last injustice,
however, this public execution of George Floyd has touched a nerve that has not
been exposed since the bombing of an Atlanta church which snuffed out the lives
of four innocent little girls. Floyd’s death appears to be the final straw that
has made the burden of racism and social injustice too much for many Americans
to bear. Numerous leaders across this
nation have said that things must change for justice to be served.
The unbridled passion erupting
all over this nation has resulted in weeks of sometimes violent protests,
fueled by rogue peace officers pursing anything but peace. Minneapolis
Mayor Jacob Frey urged for, not the dissipation of passion, but a redirected
anger focused on creating real concrete changes to systemic racism. “I’m not
asking for patience…I am asking you to take that energy that has consumed our
country…that either can destroy us or build us up, and use it not to destroy
our neighborhoods, but to destroy
systemic racist…all of the things that make it difficult when a life like
George Floyd’s is taken… to get justice.”
Unfortunately,
however, the truth is that history does not provide us hope that the officers,
though charged, will receive the justice they so richly deserve. Nor do the atrocities endured by peaceful
protesters bode well for a swift resolution to conflicts inherent when America reawakens
to systemic injustice.
This conflict is not about burned out main street, or
looting. It is not about property. The rioting and looting is a distraction. The
fact is Derek Chauvin and the police officers with him clearly killed Floyd. It
is a fact that they were not immediately arrested and charged with murder. It
is a fact that three of the officers walked free for weeks before even
receiving charges. The recent deaths of Ahmaud Abery, Breonna Taylor and
ultimately, George Floyd demonstrate that America’s claim to civility is
hollow.
White
Americans need to attest to the fact that the policing system in our country is
broken. They must admit that police militarization in communities of color is
real. They must acknowledge that race plays an out-sized role in lives of black
folk and other minorities throughout this country. That would be civil.
All
lives matter, but right now it is black lives that are under attack. Until the
sacrifice of black bodies on the streets of America is finally deemed
actionable…until police officers learn that their violent policing of black
communities is criminal…until violators are held accountable, fiery convictions
will rage on.
