Trump Allegedly Aggravating Mourning Five Years since Devastating Murder in U.S.
In the heart of downtown New York City, Al Sharpton's office is a testament to decades of civil rights activism, adorned with framed images and newspaper clippings chronicling his battles alongside presidents and leading protests. Among these memorabilia, there are numerous reminders of a pivotal moment in May 2020 - the murder of George Floyd.
Floyd, a Black man, was killed in Minneapolis by Derek Chauvin, a 44-year-old white police officer. The case received global attention after footage emerged showing Floyd being pinned to the ground by Chauvin's knee for over nine minutes while handcuffed and lying face down on the street.
Speaking to our website ahead of the fifth anniversary of Floyd's death, Mr. Sharpton remembered feeling a combination of "humiliation and deep anger" upon seeing the footage. "The more I watched, the more angry I felt," he said.
For Sharpton, this moment stood out from his countless marches with families because it was "graphic and unnecessary." He questioned how anyone could ignore someone begging for their life. Initially, he hadn't anticipated the magnitude of the impact that the event would have.
In a remarkable turn of events, the incident led to a widespread movement for police reform and racial justice, gaining global attention. However, the administration of former President Donald Trump has recently moved to repeal federal oversight plans for the Minneapolis Police Department, a decision that Sharpton believes is aimed at the anniversary of Floyd's death.
"It's pouring salt on the wounds of those that were killed, and those that fought," he said. "I think Donald Trump and his administration is actively trying to reverse and revoke changes and progress made with policing based on the movement we created after George Floyd's death, worldwide."
To this day, Sharpton continues to support the Floyd family and will join them in Houston, Texas, this weekend to commemorate the anniversary. He believes the legacy of Floyd's death is still being written.
"We must turn those moments into permanent movements," Sharpton said, invoking the spirit of the 1960s civil rights movement. "It took nine years from 1955 to 1964 for Dr. King in that movement to get a Civil Rights Act after Rosa Parks sat in the front of a bus in Montgomery. We're five years out of George Floyd, we've got to change the laws. We can do it in under nine years, but we can't do it if we take our eye off the prize."
Through the ongoing struggle for justice, a new generation of leaders has emerged, working tirelessly to address issues of police accountability and systemic racism. The movement sparked by George Floyd's death continues to resonate, well beyond its fifth anniversary.
- Al Sharpton expressed his feelings of humiliation and deep anger upon seeing the graphic and unnecessary murder of George Floyd, an event that ignited a global movement for police reform and racial justice.
- Sharpton believes that the administration of former President Donald Trump is attempting to reverse and revoke changes and progress made in policing, by repealing federal oversight plans for the Minneapolis Police Department, which he associate with the fifth anniversary of George Floyd's death.
