A day before the one-year anniversary of George Floyd’s death, the National Basketball Social Justice Coalition issued a statement that urged for bipartisan support of police reform.
Monday, the Coalition’s Executive Director, James Cadogan, released the following statement:
“Almost exactly one year ago, George Floyd was murdered by a police officer in Minneapolis. Like millions around the world, NBA players, coaches, governors, officials, and staff throughout our organizations were outraged to see the horrifying and unlawful actions of the officer who pinned Mr. Floyd’s neck to the ground under his knee for nine minutes. Mr. Floyd’s death added new fuel to the protests, marches, and urgent calls for racial justice and reform locally and nationally.”
On April 20, former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter for the murder of Floyd. The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, which would ban chokeholds and set national standards for policing, passed the U.S. House of Representatives in March with bipartisan support. The Coalition now hopes the Senate will follow suit before sending a bill to the desk of President Joe Biden to sign.
“Today, as this painful anniversary approaches, we have an opportunity to honor the memory of Mr. Floyd and others who have been victims of police brutality in this country by passing the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act,” the statement added. “Systemic problems demand systemic solutions. And, because police actions are governed by a diverse array of state laws and local policies, the Floyd Act takes unprecedented strides towards consistency — reforming at a federal level the practices that failed its namesake.
“As members of the NBA family, we will continue to use our influence to support common-sense policy reform in our communities across the nation so that equal justice is afforded to all.”
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