ST. PAUL, Minn. — Three years ago today, George Floyd was murdered at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer, Derrick Chauvin, in South Minneapolis. The Senate People of Color and Indigenous (POCI) Caucus released the following statement to mark this anniversary:
“George Floyd’s murder and the video captured by Darnella Frasier sparked a worldwide movement against police violence, with Minneapolis at its center. In the three years since, we have seen some progress at police reform and public safety interventions, including some action by the Legislature. However, the violent laws and systems that govern and oppress people of color and Indigenous people are still ending lives. Since then, we have seen more Black men die at the hands of law enforcement, in Minnesota and around the world. Too often, BIPOC communities do not feel that police keep them safe.
“We must enact meaningful reforms that will save lives and end the threat of violence that police brutality holds over Black communities and communities of color. If we do not, feelings of distrust, disenfranchisement, and disinvestment will only continue to grow. We cannot return to the world as it was before George Floyd’s murder, and we have a responsibility as legislators to ensure safety, justice, and peace for all, with whatever power we have.
“George Floyd has become a symbol of protest and liberation around the world, but at the center of all of this remains George Floyd, the man: A human being who was taken from his loved ones before his time. The pain that his family and friends have suffered is incalculable. We continue to fight alongside our community for justice, fairness, equity, and the sanctity of life. We must all work towards a more humane public safety system that values Black lives.”
The members of the Senate POCI Caucus are Senator Mary Kunesh (Chair), Senator Bobby Joe Champion, Senator Omar Fateh, Senator Foung Hawj, Senator Alice Mann, Senator Erin Maye Quade, Senator Zaynab Mohamed, Senator Clare Oumou Verbeten, Senator Susan Pha, and Senator Tou Xiong.
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