Pact’s Point of View: Verdict in the Murder of George Floyd Case
Unrelenting — April, 2022
What a month April has been, as we witnessed the killing of our Black and Brown brothers and sisters. We are exhausted, discouraged — and more committed than ever to building a better future for our children.
While we remain surrounded by unrelenting police violence against people of color, Pact’s commitment to racial and social justice remains relentless as well. This week brought a just verdict for one of the police officers responsible for George Floyd’s death, and simultaneously brought more BIPOC deaths at the hands of the police. It feels like one step forward and five steps back. Our hearts go out to all the families facing needless and horrific loss.
We were relieved by the conviction on all counts of Derek Chauvin, but throughout the trial we learned of the deaths at the hands of police of Daunte Wright, Adam Toledo, and, within minutes of the verdict, Ma’Khia Bryant (a foster youth herself) — all children and young adults whose lives cannot be replaced and did not deserve to die.These tragedies — which are the norm, not the exception — make any relief or sense of justice short-lived.
Recent news makes clear the inescapable web of anti-Black violence. George Floyd’s girlfriend was one of Daunte Wright’s teachers. Army Lt. Caron Nazario, handcuffed and pepper-sprayed during a ‘routine’ traffic stop, considered Eric Garner an uncle. Trauma upon trauma.
All of this takes place against a backdrop of mass shootings and other incidents in which police managed to detain armed white suspects without injury or loss of life. Clearly, police do have options other than shooting first and asking questions later.
We are worried for our community of BIPOC adults and especially children who have to process these injustices, and the deep and real fear of being killed or harmed because of the color of their skin. We see you. We feel you. We want to hold you. And most of all we want to help the children of our communities find a way to not only survive but thrive.
We adults may sometimes want to bury our heads in the sand to escape the constant barrage of painful news. We may find ourselves becoming numb or desensitized out of self-preservation. But our children are watching, and none of us can afford to look away. We can’t leave them to find a way to combat crushing systemic injustice alone. We know for sure the only way to do that is to name it and work to tame it.
This means accountability for police, for white America, for all of us to disrupt and upend the patterns of white supremacy and racialized violence that are embedded in our current system.
This means talking to children, even the youngest among us, about how we find strength in community and resilience when we stand up for what is right. We take inspiration from youth like teenager Darnella Frazier and her 8-year-old cousin. Despite their young age, they had the courage to be not just bystanders but up-standers, taking action and speaking out. As a result, they created a small miracle: a white police officer is actually going to prison for killing a Black man..
At the same time — this is important — we need to find ways to protect our children from the trauma of watching people who look like them getting killed, over and over again.
To the BIPOC members of our community: we know you need safe places to process all that you’re feeling. We hope you will find some solace and community by joining one of our support calls specifically for BIPOC Pact members.
For those who are white parents of BIPOC children, processing extreme fear for your children’s safety and well-being: we have opportunities for support and community for you too. We support you in standing up and speaking out against the daily onslaught of wrong by demanding justice and supporting change.
With sorrow, rage, and relentless determination, let’s join together to take a stand, challenge white supremacy, and fight every day for racial and social justice.
