As the world watched nearly a year ago, George Floyd’s death was the result of excessive police violence. While today’s guilty verdicts in the State of Minnesota v. Derek Michael Chauvin trial have given legal justice to the family of George Floyd, there is still much more that must be done. Policing and the current criminal justice system are in dire need of reform. These systems give license to police officers to commit acts of violence against Black and Brown people with impunity and show how fundamentally broken these institutions are. Police officers, and the defense in this trial, used alleged infractions and drug use as justification for murder – plain and simple. They did this to dehumanize and demonize George Floyd, and unless we see much-needed reforms, this will continue to happen to Black, Brown, and other People of Color.
HealthRIGHT 360 is committed to justice and equity, and fundamentally believes that all people deserve the right to live their lives free of fear. HealthRIGHT 360 joins the growing chorus of non-profit healthcare organizations in declaring racism a public health emergency. In the spirit of hope, may today’s verdict mark the beginning of an era of police accountability.
