While in the NFL, Colin Kaepernick knelt during the national anthem to protest police brutality. Too many Americans dismissed his demonstration. Because the system persisted unchanged, George Floyd and others were killed. We all bear witness to this tragedy.
Most people know the details now, having seen the video and the widespread coverage. Minneapolis police officers suspected that George Floyd, a 46-year-old African American, had used a counterfeit $20 bill. They slammed him down on the pavement during the arrest. White police officer Derek Chauvin pushed his knee against Floyd’s neck and held it there for nearly nine minutes. Three other officers restrained Floyd and prevented spectators from intervening.
An ambulance responded to the scene. Floyd experienced a heart attack and was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.
In the aftermath of the killing, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison charged Chauvin with second-degree murder. Ellison also indicted the other officers at the scene: Thomas Lane, J. Alexander Kueng, and Tou Thao.
Since this tragedy took place, protests have erupted across the country. Though most demonstrations have been peaceful, some individuals have set fire to buildings and damaged property. Looters have trashed businesses and even sacked Macy’s flagship store in New York City. In response to the violence, some mayors have imposed curfews.
People of every race and ethnicity are marching in unity to demonstrate their disgust regarding this tragedy and reaffirm their humanity. This moment demands leadership to reassure us of the American ideal and to offer viable solutions. Instead, America has for a leader a former reality television star who’s more infatuated with authoritarianism than building bridges.
In the backdrop of the chaos and uncertainty, President Trump expresses more concern about television ratings and his reelection than systemic racism. He even threatened to use the military to return order to cities. Trump fancies himself a law-and-order president who stands as the sentinel in front of St. John’s Church. In order to clear the streets for his walk to his church photo-op, protesters were scattered with pepper ball projectiles and smoke canisters. This move sounds like an American version of Tiananmen Square. No American should want military involvement in our political problems.
Liberty and justice cannot thrive in chaos. However, when African Americans hear “law and order,” it puts them on edge for good reason. In not-so-distant American history, the Bubba wearing a badge wasn’t just a caricature. “Law and order” conjures up Bull Connor using fire hoses and dogs to attack civil rights activists in Birmingham. “Law and order” is the phrase used by white leaders to justify abusive crackdowns on dissent.
Some good police officers have sacrificed a lot to keep the peace in the areas they patrol. So many law enforcement officials volunteer in their neighborhoods and try to connect with their communities. Yet, the good cops are nowhere around when the corrupt and unfit ones are out of control. So many people of color see the police as an occupying force, bent on maintaining a system that treats them as second-class citizens.
It is difficult to express or convey what it feels like for African Americans in dealing with the police. While taking an early morning walk in my neighborhood years ago, a police officer unexpectedly stopped me. According to the officer, I fit the profile of a robbery suspect, who was reportedly wearing black clothing, as I was. The officer didn’t mention that the suspect and I were both black. As he asked me questions, I felt the same fear that all young black men feel when armed police stop them out of nowhere. I managed to maintain my composure, and after a few adrenaline-charged minutes, he got back in his car and drove away. I was not worried about my dignity when my own survival was at stake.
The golden rule must apply to the police. What happened to George Floyd is both despicable and reprehensible. Similar things happen to African Americans all the time. We cannot just wait on Washington to deal with systemic racism; it is up to us to act.
America has reached an inflection point that can serve as a catalyst for meaningful change and reform. The time to act is now before something else happens to distract us, and we lose momentum. We all owe at least that much to George Floyd’s family and all the other families that have lost a loved one to police violence.
Donavan Wilson is a writer based in Washington, D.C.
