Imran Rayman: A prognosis for America in a time of mass upheaval
A Minnesotan student-journalist discusses the war on race relations and police brutality in the United States, from a candid and personal perspective.
Photo Credit: (Forbes / Google Images)
Written by: Imran Rayman
The racist stains of America’s dirty laundry came out in the wash this past May. George Floyd, an innocent unarmed African-American man has filled the headlines of media outlets worldwide.
“I can’t breathe” were his last words, as police officer Derek Chauvin restrained him to a filthy roadway with his knee, in South Minneapolis. I’m a journalist who once walked these same streets as a child growing up before moving to Canada. As such, I felt it a personal duty of mine, to recount the events in this case and give an evaluation on the future of the United States and its age old race conundrum.
The New Selma
The Twin Cities, Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota form the 16th largest metropolitan area in the US, with a 17 per cent African-American makeup in Minneapolis. In fact, it’s home to the largest Somalian immigrant population outside its native Africa. Here in the state of ten-thousand lakes, this unjustified arrest and homicide of an unarmed African-American man took place. This incident of police brutality, which saw Floyd perish in hospital, was the last straw for many Americans.
They took to the streets in the thousands, demanding an overhaul of a flawed system. Major demonstrations have taken place in Boston, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Salt Lake City and Philadelphia among others. While most protests have been peaceful, some have understandably escalated, leading to looting, arson, and police violence to civilians. By no means, as a young person I condone this behaviour, though as a minority I know the fight must go on. Black Lives Matter!
Now into mid-June, all the officers involved have now been arrested, and/or charged with various crimes. Derek Chauvin, the officer who knelt on Floyd for a dizzying nine minutes, faces up to 40 years behind bars if convicted.
Talks of police reform have been happening across the US and cases of police brutality are being re-examined and reopened. Below, I summarize the events that took place following Floyd’s death on May 25, 2020, outside the Cubs Supermarket at 38th Street and Chicago Avenue in south Minneapolis.
Timeline
May 26:
Peaceful protests emerge during the afternoon after footage of Floyd’s death goes public
Protesters chant the Floyd’s infamous last words “I can’t breathe” which become synonymous with the anti-police brutality movement
The police forces discharges Chauvin and three other officers involved in the murder
May 27:
Protests escalate by evening, police use rubber bullets and crowd control spray once the 3rd Precinct Station is infiltrated
An AutoZone store on East Lake Street is set ablaze, a Target is looted, and businesses are destroyed throughout the night
May 28:
Mayor Jacob Frey declares a state of emergency after over 30 businesses are damaged by rioters
The 3rd Precinct police station is set ablaze
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz deploys 500 National troops to control mobs in the twin cities
May 29:
Police and protesters clash as unrest grows, President Donald Trump Tweets “when the looting starts the shooting starts”, fuelling tensions
A CNN reporter is arrested by Minnesota State Patrol
Governor Walz announces a mandatory curfew from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. across the Twin Cities
Derek Chauvin is charges with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter by the Hennepin County Attorney, 3 days after Floyd’s killing
May 30:
In a press conference Governor Walz estimates 80 per cent of demonstrators particularly violent ones, are from outside the city.
“If you care about your community, you’ve got to put this to an end” Mayor Frey is quoted saying.
May 31:
As protests continue, crowds gather at the closed Interstate 35W bridge, a semi-truck barrels towards demonstrators, and the driver apparently unaware of the closure.
Bogdan Vechirko who operated the truck was pulled from the cab by demonstrators and later arrested and charged with assault.
June 3:
Chauvin’s charges are upgraded. Standard officers Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane, and Tou Thao are charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder.
June 10:
Police departments across the country are asked to rehaul their forces, for fear of corruption.
Confederacy monuments are removed in some US cities, in addition to the Christopher Columbus statue at the Minnesota State Capitol building.
Ongoing and Aftermath:
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey signs an order compelling police reforms and abolishing the choke hold manoeuvre.
University of Minnesota ends its partnership with the Minnesota Police Department.
Officials estimate $500 million USD in property damages occurred throughout the city from May 26 when protests began.
My Prognosis
Racism is an undeniable part of American history. Particularly towards Black citizens who are arrested at a rate five times that of whites, according to the NAACP. Walking a mile in a coloured person’s shoes is far from a stroll in the park.
Institutionalized racism in the US was brought by European colonizers in the 17th century via the Atlantic Slave Trade. Blacks were treated as second class, inferior to the white race and ineligible for citizenship. In 1865 slavery was outlawed by the 13th amendment. Blacks were still not afforded any of the rights as whites and later faced segregation under Jim Crow Laws in the mid-20th century. A prime example of institutionalized racism: the bans on interracial marriages which weren’t scraped until the 1960s.
The death of George Floyd is a wake-up call to end police brutality, systemic racism in law enforcement, and raise accountability. Affirmative action could be part of tackling the issue, or quotas in the force. Potentially, an area with a high African-American population needs an equal amount of black officers.
Body cameras are used sometimes but stricter rules must be set in place. Protesting is a right in the US, it may be the only way black voices are heard. Oppressive law enforcement has to end, it is one way racism persists in day to day life.
The damage is done and police officers need to be held responsible for their misconduct. Law enforcement no longer deserves the eye of admiration. I do believe that the “bad apples” are to blame, but I find it absurd his peers were unaware of his past dangerous behaviour.
There are now ever-growing movements to abolish and/or severely defund the police. Will these movements succeed? We will see.
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