We know George Floyd’s name. We’ve seen his face and heard his voice. We are outraged.
Every year over 1000 people are killed in the US by police officers. We don’t know most of their names or faces or stories.
Every time a video is made public, we are outraged. Again. And again. And again.
We say: Never again! Not one more! And there are more.
Some people believe body cameras could be part of a solution. But in Minneapolis the police wear body cameras. The four officers who participated in killing George Floyd knew there were many witnesses and cameras. And they didn’t stop. This reminds us there is no quick fix or single action that will solve the systemic problems of racism and violence.
Tens of thousands of people in dozens of cities are turning out to protest peacefully. In too many cases, including Boston, the police response has been confrontational and provocative instead of promoting safety.
It's time to follow the lead of people who know that oppression and violence first hand. Past failures to do so have not served us well.
The Massachusetts Black and Latino Legislative Caucus held a press conference Tuesday to release a Ten Point Plan to address police violence and advance Racial Justice at the local, state and federal levels.
Enacting their recommendations will be a good start, but more action is needed. And it may be that, as Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley has said, that this is a tipping point in the fight against racism and police violence. With the continuing protests, I am a little hopeful that we can make overdue and real change.
Ten-Point Plan to Address Police Violence and Advance Racial Justice
Federal
1. Pass Congresswoman Pressley’s Resolution to condemn police brutality, racial profiling and the excessive use of force.
2. Improve oversight and independent investigations to hold individual law enforcement officers and police departments accountable.
3. Department of Justice must reassert its statutory authority to investigate individual instances of racial profiling, police brutality and violence and investigate and litigate individual law enforcement officers and police departments routinely violating civil rights.
4. Adopt sound and unbiased law enforcement policies at all levels of government that reduce the disparate impact of police brutality, racial profiling and use of force on Black and Brown people and other historically marginalized communities.
6. Civil Service Exam Review and Oversight: An Act to Reform Civil Service Exams, H2292 Rep Holmes; Currently sent to study, but could be added to Outside Section of the Budget; Establishes an Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity to establish guidelines and review for diversity plans for all state agencies, Establishes a peace officer exam advisory board to review examinations for appointment and promotion of peace officers.
7. Commission on Structural Racism: An Act establishing a special commission on structural racism, H1440, Holmes; Currently sent to study, but could be added to Outside Section of the Budget; Establishes a commission to study how the systemic presence of institutional racism has created a culture of structural racial inequality which has exacerbated disproportionate minority contact with the criminal justice system in Massachusetts.
8. Adopt clear statutory limits on police use of force, including choke-holds and other tactics known to have deadly consequences. Require independent investigation of officer-related deaths. Require data collection and reporting on race, regarding all arrests and police use of force by every department. In drafting; to be filed by Rep. Liz Miranda soon.
10. Create a Civil Review Board/Commission with subpoena power to investigate allegations of law enforcement wrongdoing.
Even if we can adopt all the measures the Caucus suggests, there is more to do. On Wednesday, the Committee on Labor and Workforce Development, which I chair, approved An Act to reinvest Justice andOpportunity in Communities Affected by Incarceration, sponsored by Sen. Chang-Diaz and Rep. Keefe. The bill would reduce corrections spending as the number of incarcerated people falls, and dedicate half the savings to grants for job creation and training for those who face high barriers to employment. I hope the bill will be among those passed into law soon.
Campaign Zero has a good list of things we need to do. Go to their website for more specifics.
Many of you have suggestedother important proposals which could be legislated or addressed in the budget this year.
We can't let the moment and the momentum generated by tragedies and public outrage pass without making real and lasting change at every level.
I'm grateful for all of you who are engaged in many ways to make that happen.
Stay in touch,
