Africa: Here We Are Again - Will Racist Violence in the United States Ever End?

opinion

It happened again. George Floyd's name is now added to the tragic list - already far too long - of other people of color whose lives have been cut short as a direct result of the United States' long history of racism and white supremacy. We stand in solidarity with his family and the relatives of all other victims of racially motivated violence including most recently, among others, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Tony McDade, Steven Taylor, Nicolas Chavez, Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Philando Castile, Sandra Bland, Trayvon Martin, Tamir Rice, Jordan Davis, and Atatiana Jefferson.

We at ICTJ are outraged by the cruel and senseless murder of an unarmed Black man by police officers in Minneapolis, Minnesota. As we try to process this horrific act and grieve the tragic loss of another human life, we must also grapple with the hard truth that it is frankly unsurprising that this list of names continues to grow. How can we be shocked at yet another racially motivated killing when there have been no meaningful changes to policing practices in recent years despite the repeated murders? Crowds of protesters chanting "no justice, no peace" have taken to the streets across the United States. They know that if nothing comes of George's murder, there will be a another one. And we will all be complicit.

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