Statement on the Death of George Floyd
June 10, 2020
CONTACT: Kai Stansberry
KStansberry@dallas-una.org
UNA Dallas Statement on the Death of George Floyd
Wednesday, June 10, 2020
The Board of UNA-USA Dallas issued the following joint statement today (June 10):
We are in a season of great pain for our nation. Two weeks ago, the world watched in horror and despair as a video was released of George Floyd, an unarmed, nonviolent black man killed while in police custody. Then we watched as communities around the globe erupted in anger and outrage. Hundreds of thousands of protesters, from every race, color, and creed, took to the streets with pain. Raw pain. Palpable pain. Pain that is now on full display for all to see.
The killing of George Floyd and the justified fury in ensuing protests, speak to the systematic racism that has plagued our country in the same way it has perpetually defined the everyday realities of individuals around the world who face indifference, discrimination, marginalization, and bigotry.
UNA-USA Dallas stands with the African American community and condemns this unjust murder. We mourn George Floyd’s life and the countless others who came before him – named and unnamed. Sadly, our country’s history is ripe with racial incidents that shake us to the core of our being and threaten the ideals we hold most sacred as Americans.
As leaders of UNA-USA Dallas, we feel that silence is complicity: As an organization, we firmly believe education is the way to bring about real, sustainable change. We fundamentally believe in the power of the UN Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4): high-quality education, to improve the trajectory of a child’s life. Further, we believe that when adults know more and know better, they will do better for humanity’s betterment. As UN advocates, we must prepare the youth to advocate and participate vigorously in public policy, civic discourse, and democracy. A robust civil discourse requires the truth: The killings must stop. The system must change.
We must put an end to these incidents. No matter how difficult, we must summon the courage to reflect on the lives lost and address the legacy of systemic injustice we face as a civil society. And we must do so with a unified sense of urgency and an unwavering commitment to end race-based violence. “Each of us has a voice to use in building a more equitable society and in improving the well-being of communities of color,” said Lisa Winkley, President of UNA-USA Dallas. “We must push for policies and legislation that ensure every citizen’s human rights to shift our country’s trajectory.”
We need better training for police in de-escalation techniques, more transparency and accountability, and in the discipline of officers who break the law. We must also deploy the methodical, tangible, and inclusive practices to restore a healthy relationship between law enforcement and minority communities who depend on officers of the law to model both justice and compassion. We understand that not all cops are good cops. Still, we wholeheartedly believe that the majority of police officers, who are dedicated public servants protecting their communities every day, are far better than what we saw in the Floyd video.
We send our deepest sympathy to Mr. Floyd’s family and hope that his unfortunate death is the last one like it. We pledge to honor his memory by building a more civil, just, and sustainable society. One that uplifts human rights to end discrimination in North Texas and throughout the world.