George Floyd's death under the knee of a Minneapolis police officer has rightly appalled and outraged the world, and tens of thousands -- perhaps millions -- of Americans have raised their voices in resounding protest.
But his killing last week was hardly an isolated incident. According to the Mapping Police Violence project, at least three people are killed by police officers every day in the United States. The Washington Post's Fatal Force database records 1003 fatal police shootings alone in the past year.
These killings disproportionately affect communities of color. Black Americans, like Mr. Floyd, are killed at more than double (and perhaps three times) the rate of white Americans. On the same day Mr. Floyd was killed in Minneapolis, 28-year-old Dion Johnson, also an African-American man, was shot and killed by an Arizona state trooper in north Phoenix.
The anger we have been witnessing in cities across America this past week has long been pent up and must finally be acknowledged and addressed. It testifies to an intolerable situation that cries out for immediate change.
Yesterday I walked alongside marchers in downtown Phoenix who were engaged in the exercise of their First Amendment rights to speak, to peacefully assemble, and to petition their government for a redress of grievances. The racial, cultural, and religious diversity of the group reflected the diversity of our state. Nearly all were young. Their message: Black lives matter.
During the coming year, the School of Historical, Philosophical and Religious Studies will engage these concerns anew, placing them at the center of a collective reckoning long overdue. I encourage you to reach out to me ([email protected]) with ideas and commend your commitment to working toward a more just society.
Sincerely,
Richard Amesbury
Director, School of Historical, Philosophical & Religious Studies