SAINT PAUL, Minn. - Today marks the third anniversary of the murder of George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer, Derek Chauvin, in South Minneapolis. The Minnesota House People of Color and Indigenous Caucus issued the following statement,
“George Floyd was a friend, brother, uncle, and most importantly ‘dad’. It has been three years since George Floyd's senseless murder sparked waves of protests against police brutality and racial injustice across the United States and the world. Floyd's murder is a reminder of the deep-seated racism that still exists in our society. It also showed how far we still have to go to achieve true equality for all people. In the years since Floyd's death, the POCI Caucus has worked to advance racial equity by passing new laws to urgently transform policing, tackle racial disparities in the criminal justice system, and increase funding for community-based interventions and restorative justice practices.
However, there is still much work to be done. The reality is being Black in America means your life is constantly in jeopardy. There is no number of laws or policies that will take that fear away from Black Americans. We will continue to fight for racial justice and hold police accountable for their actions. We are committed to creating a society where everyone is treated with dignity and respect, regardless of their race."
The POCI Caucus is comprised of; Rep. Esther Agbaje (59B), Rep. Jamie Becker-Finn (40B), Rep. Ethan Cha (47B), Rep. Mary Frances Clardy (53A), Rep. Cedrick Frazier (43A), Rep. Aisha Gomez (62A), Rep. Hodan Hassan (62B), Kaohly Vang Her (64A), Rep. Athena Hollins (66B), Rep. Samakab Hussein (65A), Rep. Heather Keeler (04A), Rep. Alicia Kozlowski (08B), Rep. Fue Lee (59A), Rep. Liz Lee (67A), Rep. Mohamud Noor (60B), Rep. María Isa Pérez-Vega (65B), Rep. Ruth Richardson (52B), Rep. Samantha Sencer-Mura (63A), Rep. Samantha Vang (38B), and Rep. Jay Xiong (67B).