Today marks the 5th anniversary of George Floyds tragic and very public murder.
In the midst of the Covid pandemic, his final moments were played out on social media for the world to see. Rightly, his death sparked outrage and horror, and a surge of support for the Black Lives Matter movement, both in the USA and UK.
The officer responsible for his death was convicted of second degree murder and sentenced to 22.5 years and was also convicted of violating George Floyd’s civil rights, for which he is serving a concurrent 21 year sentence. The other officers on duty at the scene also received various sentences for their part in his murder.
But 5 years on, what (if any) lessons have been learnt?
Data for 2020–2024 reveals 1198 Black people have been fatally shot by the Police in the USA since his death. Included in these sickening statistics are people like Sonya Massey, who made the headlines when she was murdered by police in her own home in July 2024, after calling 911 for help.
And this is not just an American problem. According to the Institute of Race Relations, Black people in Britain are twice as likely to die in police custody and seven times more likely to die following restraint by police than White people.
13 Black and Asian men have died during or following restraint or detention by police in the UK since 2020.
The BBC2 documentary Backlash: The Murder of George Floyd is a hard-hitting account of his murder and the events that followed. It also examines the aftermath of his murder, police brutality and racism in the UK. Featuring Sal Naseem former Director for London of the IOPC, who has played a pivotal role in numerous high-profile investigations of racism and police misconduct, it gives a stark insight of how much work is still to be done.
So today, in remembering George Floyd we also want this to be a call to action – to learn lessons from his death. Action for Race Equality works across Employment, Education and Criminal Justice to bring this change. The Alliance for Police Accountability, their Steering Group Chaired by Lee Jasper is working tirelessly to transform policing and address serious violence.
Please consider donating and supporting their essential work.
EDI News 