Despite the fact that George Floyd’s death sparked nationwide racial justice protests, law enforcement continues to brutalize Black people in the same way they always have.
George Floyd died on May 25, 2020, at the hands of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who kneeled on his neck for 9 and a half minutes. As George Floyd begged for his life, even letting out an exasperated “I can’t breathe,” shocked bystanders watched on, one of whom even recorded the murder.
Darnella Frazier, who was only 17 at the time, captured the ordeal on her phone, and it quickly went viral on social media. It also spurred the country into action.
Millions of people took to the streets across the country and around the world to protest a stark reality that black Americans have always faced, which is dying at a higher rate and for no reason at the hands of cops.
Despite the advances in public awareness, Black people are still being murdered on camera by cops, with no end in sight.
Read more: Judge Accepts Derek Chauvin’s Plea Deal on The Murder Of George Floyd, Sets Sentence For 20-25 Years
Calls to defund the police prompted Minneapolis City Council members to announce preliminary plans to replace their local department, though the ballot measure was rejected by voters.
No-knock warrants were prohibited in Florida, Oregon, Connecticut, and Virginia, and their use was severely restricted in other states.
Chokeholds are prohibited or restricted in 17 states, including Minnesota. President Biden signed an executive order on the 25th to reform federal police practices and create a national database of police misconduct. However, previous tools such as body cameras, have done nothing to prevent cops from killing black people.
“I know progress can be slow and frustrating and there’s a concern that the reckoning on race inspired two years ago is beginning to fade,” Biden said. “This is a call to action based on a basic truth. Public trust, as any cop will tell you, is the foundation of public safety. Without trust, the population doesn’t contribute, doesn’t cooperate.”
What Biden has failed to address is that a historically racist and corrupt institution like law enforcement cannot be fixed. Real action from Congress would be far more effective in addressing America’s policing crisis. That countless Black people continue to be murdered at the hands of cops and are rarely held accountable.
Chauvin was sentenced to 22.5 years in prison for George Floyd’s death, which was undoubtedly the result of public outrage. His punishment will not bring George Floyd back or undo the trauma he and his loved ones and Black people everywhere have endured.
While the Biden administration insists that it is making progress in terms of how it treats Black people, the victims of the Floyd protests stand in stark contrast to these false claims.
Daunte Wright, Amir Locke, Jim Rogers, Patrick Lyoya, Tracy Gaeta, and numerous other innocent victims were killed by racist police officers, who face no consequences for their heinous actions.
George Floyd’s legacy is tough. Two years later, this country not only fails to honor his memory, it insults it by pretending to change a system that profits from the bodies of Black people.