Editorial: NAACP Santa Cruz Statement on the Killing of George Floyd
Between 1920 and 1938 the NAACP flew a flag outside its offices that read “A Man Was Lynched Yesterday” to mark the lynching of Black people in the United States. It is a shame on our nation that almost a century later, Black people continue to be brutalized and killed by racists. The murder of George Floyd by police is an unspeakable tragedy. Sadly, police brutality against the Black community has been an ever-present occurrence, dating back to its roots as a method used to preserve the system of slavery. The arrest of Officer Derek Chauvin is not enough. There are three other officers who are just as complicit in killing Mr. Floyd. We want them all charged for their role in this inexcusable death.
The uprisings taking place in Minneapolis, St. Paul, Kentucky, Los Angeles, Washington, DC and other locations across this country and world are a result of the anger, fear, sadness, and distrust that have manifested for years throughout our community. Enough is enough. We Are Done Dying. These are NOT isolated incidents. They are directly related to the systemic racism that plagues our country at an even more alarming rate than the coronavirus. Our communities have been in a state of emergency long before the first COVID-19 case was brought to light.
We are calling for federal legislation similar to a Hate Crime bill to be developed, which would provide detailed procedures and penalties in cases of blatant police brutality. The unrest we are seeing today is what happens when the road to justice is too long and drawn-out. These uprisings are a result of our communities feeling as though, once again, nothing is going to be done.
We watched as the President gave alt-right protestors in Charlottesville, VA the benefit of the doubt, even when videos showed them terrorizing innocent Americans. Yet in this moment of anger, sadness, and fear at the continuous death of Black lives at the hands of the police, this President choses to characterize people who are mourning the loss of Philando Castile, Sandra Bland, Michael Brown, Jr., Breonna Taylor and now George Floyd as “thugs”. This President’s actions are disgusting, yet not unexpected. He has proven to be incapable of displaying the competency and compassion necessary in this moment to lead this country through a turbulent time – turbulence which has been largely orchestrated by his intentional marginalization of our communities.
Our recent national survey reported that 75% of Black people feel that Trump is the SINGLE greatest threat to the African American. That feeling was only amplified where he glorified violence against Americans stating that “When the looting starts, the shooting starts!”
Our communities are angry and saddened. But we must be strategic and measured as we battle this latest grave injustice. The NAACP will not rest until we see these officers charged and convicted for the murder of George Floyd. We must keep our focus on redressing the systemic racism against our community that led to this tragedy. We cannot afford to do so while losing more Black sons and daughters. We must protest peacefully, demand persistently, and fight politically. But most of all, we must vote in November.