Just Verdict in Minneapolis, And Our Fight Continues

While Tuesday’s guilty verdict in George Floyd’s murder by a former police officer sent relief through many American hearts, one verdict does not change a system set up to brutalize people of color.  Much work remains in our efforts to achieve true justice and address structural racism.

CFA joins others in appreciation of the organizing that pushed for a just verdict; the courage of the people who bore witness to the theft of Floyd’s life and refused to cower on the witness stand; the millions of people around the globe who rose up and said that Black Lives Matter. At the same time, our feelings and thoughts are tempered, because the system still remains unjust. As the Minneapolis verdict was announced, we learned that police Columbus, Ohio, killed Ma’Khia Bryant, a Black teenager. We must stay organized and keep fighting, for Floyd, for Bryant, for Daunte Wright, for Adam Toledo, for Breonna Taylor, for Ahmaud Arbery, and for our children.

CFA urges Congress to pass the act on police reform, and local communities to rethink and transform public safety by defunding police departments and investing in resources communities actually need. Here in California, we implore legislators to pass several bills up for consideration to increase police accountability and address the racism many Black, Indigenous and people of color face.  We demand the California State University system adopt Our Way Forward that calls for many reforms, including the defunding of university police, investing in Black student centers, and diversifying faculty and management ranks.