A Year After George Floyd’s Murder, More Change Still Needed

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Janessa Sambola-Harris, [email protected] 

WASHINGTON – Wade Henderson, interim president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, released the following statement in remembrance of George Floyd one year after his murder:

“George Floyd should still be here. His murder was a tragedy: not just for his family, or for Minneapolis, but for an entire nation. While justice was served with the conviction of Derek Chauvin, one important outcome does not change the fact that too many Black and Brown lives have been and continue to be senselessly lost at the hands of those charged to ‘protect and serve’ us all. We deserve better. Congress should honor George Floyd’s life by enacting change to end this culture of impunity by police.” 

Background

The Leadership Conference called on Congress to meet the needs of the current moment by ending qualified immunity; strengthening 18 U.S.C. Sec. 242 mens rea requirement; developing a national, public police misconduct database; ending the militarization of law enforcement agencies; limiting use of force by law enforcement; banning restrictive maneuvers (i.e. chokeholds and no-knock warrants); banning racial profiling; and requiring robust data collection to ensure accountability.

The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights is a coalition charged by its diverse membership of more than 220 national organizations to promote and protect the rights of all persons in the United States. The Leadership Conference works toward an America as good as its ideals. For more information on The Leadership Conference and its member organizations, visit www.civilrights.org.

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