By Dominic Taylor-
Former President Barack Obama said in a speech reacting to the conviction of Derek Chauvin, that black Americans are treated differently everyday.
Obama said after jurors convicted Chauvin of all three counts of murder that the verdict, was “a necessary step on the road to progress” , but “it was far from a sufficient one.“
Obama and former first lady, Michelle Obama, issued a statement after Chauvin was found guilty of second- and third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.
“For almost a year, George Floyd’s death under the knee of a police officer has reverberated around the world — inspiring murals and marches, sparking conversations in living rooms and new legislation. But a more basic question has always remained: would justice be done?” the statement said. “In this case, at least, we have our answer. But if we’re being honest with ourselves, we know that true justice is about much more than a single verdict in a single trial.”
Floyd’s death last year led to nationwide protests against systemic racism and calls for police reform. Obama praised the millions who protested following Floyd’s death, saying “justice is closer today not simply because of this verdict, but because of their work.”
However, Obama, the first Black president of the United States, also noted more work needs to be done for “true justice.”
“True justice requires that we come to terms with the fact that Black Americans are treated differently, every day,” Obama said, adding that there are still many who “fear that their next encounter with law enforcement could be their last.”
After Chauvin’s guilty verdict: A trial for American policing, the struggle for public trust begins anew.
Obama called for concrete reforms “that will reduce and ultimately eliminate racial bias in our criminal justice system.”
“We stand shoulder-to-shoulder with all those who are committed to guaranteeing every American the full measure of justice that George and so many others have been denied,” the Obamas said in the statement.
On Monday, Democrats proposed a sweeping package of policing reforms Monday that would ban chokeholds, end no-knock warrants in drug cases, create a national police misconduct registry, and limit qualified immunity that shields officers from being sued.
The Justice in Policing Act has been under discussion since George Floyd was killed in the custody of the Minneapolis police that sparked nationwide anti–police violence protests. The bill would put police officers under more scrutiny and limit their ability to use violent force. But it does not adopt the policies of the grassroots “defund the police” movement, which has become a rallying cry at protests.
The Justice in Policing Act aims to make use of deadly force a last resort by changing the national use of force standard from it being “reasonable” to the higher bar of “necessary to prevent death or serious bodily injury.”
“As we all know, we can reason away just about anything. The appropriate and fair question to ask is ‘Was it necessary?’” said Sen. Kamala Harris.
The bill would ban police use of chokeholds and no-knock raids where police can storm into a home without identifying themselves. This was the type of search that led to the death of Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old unarmed black woman in Louisville, Kentucky, who was shot to death in her home by police.
These changes would be enacted directly for all federal policing agencies. Technically the federal government cannot dictate policies like a chokehold ban to state and local police agencies. Instead, the bill conditions funding and grants to local jurisdictions on them complying with the federal standard. Denying funding has been an effective way to make states follow national standards such as speed limits.
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said the bill could move through committee and be ready for a floor vote in the next two weeks.
The bill is likely to pass the Democrat-controlled House, but its fate is far more uncertain in the Senate where Republicans have control. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell ultimately controls what goes to a floor vote and has consistently refused to take up Democratic bills passed by the House.