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
Hi Andrea I’m a Latina Person and in my family there are people of color who are beautiful and I believe that we are all the same that’s why I support people of color.
We should absolutely support people of colour.
The world has to change
It sure does.
Hi Andrea, thanks for publishing this text. As long as people don’t understand that we are all the same, the world is not going to change. We are the same and my skin color says nothing about me.
Hi Angelica, thank you for sharing your powerful comment. It’s greatly appreciated.
One person’s rights ends where the other begins
Thanks for the comment.
Hi, Andrea, thanks for your text.
Please tell me, why you have tagline – “black lives matters” but not “all lives matters”?
Hi Max, evidently all lives matter, but not all lives are in danger and that is what we need to realise. We know all lives matter, but it is up to us, in this case, to highlight black lives as it is those ones which face constant oppression and systemic racism. I hope this clears up your confusion as to why the article says what it does.