It's time to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act. Take action now.
On Tuesday, April 20, a jury in Minnesota found former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin guilty of murder and manslaughter charges in the death of George Floyd. This verdict is a step in the right direction toward police accountability, but it is not justice. Justice would mean George Floyd would be alive today to hold his daughter. Justice would mean teenager Ma’Khia Bryant, 16, wouldn’t have been shot dead by police the same day the Chauvin verdict was announced. Justice would mean that Duante Wright, 20, would have the chance to witness his son’s second birthday. Justice would mean that young Adam Toledo, 13, would be at home right now playing with his Legos and Hot Wheels; instead he was shot in the chest and murdered by police with his hands in the air. What is justice to a dead person?
To achieve true accountability, it’s going to mean rewriting the entire system. It will require ongoing work and institutional change to ensure that law enforcement is no longer allowed to kill Black, Latino, and People of Color with impunity. It will require white people to stand up, to stop being complacent about their own inherent racism and privilege, to be uncomfortable, and to be better. Because Communities of Color—including our co-workers, our friends, our family members, and our neighbors—are rightfully tired.
This work can start today. If ever there was a time to call on your elected officials in Washington, this is it. Tell Iowa Senators Joni Ernst and Chuck Grassley to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act to hold police accountable, end racial profiling, change the culture of law enforcement, and address systematic racism and bias to help save lives instead of ending them. Call your Senators RIGHT NOW. If no one answers, be sure to leave a message.
Call Senator Ernst’s office at (202) 224-3254.
Call Senator Grassley’s office at (202) 224-3744.
Or contact the US Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask to be connected to your Senator.
You can also contact Senators Ernst and Grassley via their websites:
To send a message to Senator Ernst, go to https://www.ernst.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contact
To send a message to Senator Grassley, go to https://www.grassley.senate.gov/contact
Learn about what reforms are needed (or happening) in the city where you live. Ask questions like:
What are my city’s police accountability procedures?
Is there any procedure or mechanism for citizen oversight of the police?
What data is available about police misconduct in my area?
If you do not feel like the answers are adequate, or that more work should be done, join with other activists and advocates in your community to demand change from your city council, your mayor, your sheriff, and your district attorney.
Do your part today. Because Black Lives Matter.
