Exercise
Tap all the highlighted words in the transcript below to see their definition. ⇩Do you know what has happened since George Floyd, an unarmed black man, was killed by police last month?
The short answer: A lot.
Here are some of the more positive events that have taken place since May 25.
Worldwide Protests
Protests and riots started the day after George Floyd was killed. They began in the U.S. but quickly spread around the world.
Charges
Derek Chauvin, an officer involved in the killing of George Floyd, was arrested on May 29. He’s been charged with second-degree manslaughter and murder.
On June 3 three former Minneapolis police officers who were connected to George Floyd’s death were charged with aiding and abetting.
Statues
On June 4 the governor of Virginia ordered that a statue of Robert E. Lee be taken down (Lee was against equal rights for African Americans). The statue is currently still standing; however, it is now covered in graffiti.
Three days later in Bristol, England, a statue of Edward Colston, a slave trader, was thrown into the ocean by protesters.
Rising support
In Washington, D.C. on June 5, “BLACK LIVES MATTER” was painted on a street near the White House. The painting, which is 11 metres high, was ordered by the mayor of D.C.
That same day, the NFL said that they were wrong for opposing players’ peaceful protests against racism and police brutality (such as kneeling during the national anthem).
On June 10, NASCAR banned the confederate flag, which is a symbol of racism, from all of its facilities.
Police reform
On June 12, the city council in Minneapolis voted to disband the police department and replace it with a community public safety system.
Colorado removed “qualified immunity” from its police force on June 19. Qualified immunity protects police officers from being punished by the law in some cases.
Bretty Hankinson
Police officer Brett Hankison was fired on June 23. He was involved in the shooting death of Breonna Taylor, a black woman who was killed by police in her own home.
Black lives matter
Here are some things you can do to help the black community in the fight for social justice:
- Share information (from black sources) on social media
- Donate to an organization that needs funding
- Sign a petition
- Support black businesses
Whatever you do, don’t stay silent!
Development Racial Movement Comprehension
I Don’t usually participate in here, but Lucio Roberto da Silva’s comment made me feel ashamed of being Brazilian, so I think I’m obligated to comment as a Brazilian white women how has black beloved people as friends and parents. I forgot to say I’m a teacher too! Because of people like him black people in Brazil no even talk about what they face every day, they don’t use to tell what happened at work or school because of the color of their skin. They don’t really now their history, most of them think it’s natural don’t be well treated…… Read more »
Hi Daniela, thank you very much for taking the time to write this comment. We have to make sure we fight for black lives and to ensure that they are equal. I hope you are well.
It’s a shame but I think we also have racism in Germany
We have to fight against racism and make sure we fight for equality.
Interesting article,
🙂
That point is very good
🙂
We need to share more about article
We have to make sure we continue to fight for equality.