Seattle (May 25, 2021) – Today marks one year since George Floyd was killed by police officers in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Floyd’s death sparked a civil rights reckoning and hundreds of thousands took to the streets across the country to demand justice for Black men, women, and children wrongfully killed by police throughout our country’s history. Those demonstrations laid the groundwork for Mayor Durkan’s $100 million commitment to address the harm and disparities caused by years of disinvestment, oppression and systemic racism. Though the Mayor has been a national leader on police reform for years, the civil rights reckoning also lead to renewed efforts to reimagine community safety.
Mayor Durkan Made the following statement:
“One year ago, the public murder of George Floyd by sworn Minneapolis Police sparked a civil rights reckoning that touched every part of our country. While we have made some important gains, one year later, we must acknowledge how much work remains to dismantle centuries of systemic racial inequities. The insidious impacts cannot be denied. Black, Indigenous and people of color in our country are still at greater risk of dying at the hands of police. They are the furthest from true justice in almost every factor that builds safe and healthy communities, including education, healthcare, access to affordable homes and homeownership, and economic opportunity. True justice demands that we admit, recognize and work to address these systemic racial inequities that lead to the death of George Floyd and countless others. Every one of these individuals should still be alive and with their families today. We must demand better than this everywhere in our country.”
“Over the past year, we have made systemic changes in Seattle including creating and expanding health based and community based alternatives in policing. We have accelerated transfer of land back into community hands, have continued investments in affordable housing, and have worked to combat the disparate impacts of COVID on communities of color. We also are committed to historic investments in Black, Indigenous and communities of color, lead by community voices and community needs. We know that lasting change comes, not just from re-imagining the role of police in our communities, but from investing in a healthy and resilient community from the ground up.”