Derek Chauvin was convicted of the murder of George Floyd, but much work must be done to confront systemic racism and continue our collective struggle for justice. Today I am asking you to say you are a part of that struggle. Thanks. - B

 

Tragically, racism and police brutality in America are not new. They have long been an integral part of American history.

But what we have increasingly seen over the past several years, and certainly since the murder of George Floyd, is that people of all races and backgrounds are standing up and fearlessly saying: "Enough is enough. No more." We will not accept the torture and murder of Black and Brown people by police officers. We will not forget the police killings that, in recent years, took the lives of so many African Americans including Eric Garner, Sandra Bland, Laquan McDonald, Tamir Rice, Alton Sterling, Breonna Taylor, Freddie Gray, Rekia Boyd, Walter Scott and others.

People all across the country are now demanding real police department reform. They understand that we must invest in our young people and in jobs and education, not more jails and incarceration.

Together, we will end the disgrace of the United States having more people in prisons than any other country on earth — disproportionately Black, Latino, and Native American.

Earlier this week, a jury in Minneapolis found former police officer Derek Chauvin guilty of all three charges in the murder of George Floyd. And I want to take this opportunity to congratulate Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, a good friend of the progressive community, for his outstanding work on this case.

While this verdict was an important step forward, Keith, I, and all of you fully understand that our country still has much work to do to confront systemic racism and murders at the hands of police.

The jury's verdict delivers accountability for Derek Chauvin, but not justice for George Floyd. Real justice for him and too many others can only happen when we build a nation that fundamentally respects the human dignity of every person.

The trauma and tragedy of George Floyd’s murder must never leave us. It was a manifestation of a system that callously devalues the lives of Black people.

Our struggle now is about justice — not justice on paper, but real justice in which all Americans live their lives free of oppression. We must boldly root out the cancer of systemic racism and reform a very broken criminal justice system.

Here are some of the steps I believe we must take:

Every police officer involved in a killing must be held accountable, and those found guilty must be punished with the full force of the law. That includes officers who stand by while these brutal acts take place.

Every single killing of a person by police or while in police custody must be investigated by the Department of Justice.

Police departments must look like the communities they serve and be part of those communities, not be seen as invading, heavily-armed occupying forces.

The federal government, through financial resources and training to local law enforcement agencies, must aggressively lead a complete overhaul of policing in this country.

We must end the "War on Drugs" and legalize marijuana.

In this pivotal moment in American history, now is the time to honor George Floyd and to do everything possible to make sure that his death was not in vain.

Now is the time for us to come together, in a non-violent way, to demand justice in America in all respects. Racial justice. Economic justice. Social justice. Environmental justice.

Now is the time for us to end police brutality and murder.

Now is the time for Congress to dismantle systemic racism in America and a broken and racist criminal justice system.

Let us go forward together. Let us continue our collective struggle for justice. And let us keep organizing for the type of nation we know we can become.

In solidarity,

Bernie Sanders

 

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