TRUST THE POLICE? THE MYTH OF PROTECT AND SERVE

On May 25, 2020, a shocked, appalled, and outraged. global audience witnessed the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin. Floyd repeatedly told the officer he couldn’t breathe while Chauvin had his knee pressed against his neck, literally choking the life out of Floyd. The resulting outrage and protests have thrust the issue of police brutality, particularly against people of color, into the national spotlight. This piece looks at the long history of egregious police conduct against people of color without suffering any legal recrimination.

This has led to a longstanding distrust of law enforcement by many people of color that persists to this day.