Police reform advocates on what ‘justice’ for George Floyd really means

Some lawmakers, advocates and organizers say justice has not been served in the murder of George Floyd.

"Justice for George Floyd" became one of several demands that sparked a movement against police brutality and racism in policing in the summer of 2020. Now, organizers, activists and lawmakers alike are reexamining what justice actually means. “We know that what justice would look like in a perfect world -- it would be that George Floyd is alive,” said Anthonine Pierre, a spokesperson for Communities United For Police Reform and the deputy director of the Brooklyn Movement Center. “Justice would be changing the system and changing the policies that made it possible for George Floyd to be killed.” There have been more than 980 people who have been killed by police since Floyd’s murder on May 25, 2020, according to data from Mapping Police Violence, a research collaborative that collects data on fatal uses of force by police. Of the 609 victims whose races are known, almost 30% of them are Black, though Black people only represent 13% of the U.S. population. Almost a year after Floyd’s death, former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was convicted of murder and manslaughter. He now faces up to 40 years in prison.