May 25, 2020: A Date and a Choice

When it comes to some events however dates aren39t necessary Even the most ahistorical people know them not just as past happenings but because they are imprinted on the collective memoryTake 1941 1968 2001 Pearl Harbor an attack that cast Americans into World War II Vietnam the Tet Offensive protests in Chicago Paris Berlin Rome The World Trade Center and Pentagon attacked Who doesn39t recognize what happened in the lives of the people around us in how eventsshaped who they areIn fact popular culture acknowledges the effects of certain historical moments by memorializing generations with their labels The greatest generation Americans who fought World War II from Europe and North Africa to the Pacific The Vietnam generation whose experiences serving in and opposing the war reshaped the nation The post911 generational alphabet the Gen X Y and Z39s who see themselves touched by the social economic and homeland insecurities of an uncertain 21st Century worldEvents that deliver a nationally shared experience are few and far between That39s probably a good thing Most like wars or the current pandemic are a cataclysmic upending not only of the country39s economy or politics but everyday life But a few while still crises present matters of choice Consider May 25 2020 the day George Floyd died Americans are paying attention It39s how they respond to his murder that will make a difference whether the tragedy will be a turning point in racial justice and the country or simply one more historical dateThat George Floyd39s death has galvanized people in no way detracts from the injustice or human loss surrounding the hundreds of African Americans whose lives have been taken in questionable circumstances by the police Deaths in police hands disproportionately affect people of color They all are present and remembered in the demonstrations today quotSay their namesquot the call heard at protests eloquently reflects the effort by the Black Lives Matter movement and others to recognize these human beings as well as their tragediesBut for reasons of chance and circumstance on a Minneapolis street corneramp8212from the presence of mind of smart phone videographers to the unfathomably mindless cruelty of the police officer they recordedamp8212the murder of one black man has become the catalyst In contrast to scores of similar cases it has precipitated a wave of broadly backed demonstrations They unambiguously are bringing calls to confront not only racial injustice but systemic racism including provoking words from corporate leaders long prone to dodge such issues until the problem du jour went awayFor so many Americans who have said quotthis time it feels differentquot the reasons why they are hopeful are obviously subjective There is of course cause for optimism Demonstrations continue proposals for police reform are now on political agendas in dozens of cities state legislatures and on Capitol Hill and except for President Trump who appears astonishingly clueless candidates in the 2020 presidential and congressional elections are competing to champion racial justice as their causeThe injustice done to George Floydamp8212and the fact it has evoked so many other similar actsamp8212also has produced remarkable events In Europe protests championing the Black Lives Matter cause have filled streets in London Edinburgh Paris Rome Lausanne Berlin and Brussels to name a few From Sydney and Pretoria to Seoul Australians Africans and Asians also are having a say Not surprisingly they are demanding remediesamp8212in France a death of a young black man in police custody in 2016 remains front page newsamp8212to longsimmering racial injustice on their home turfIn pulpits boardrooms city council chambers and state capitols the sympathy and support is also worth noting Actions will speak louder than words but the moment has sparked an unprecedent chorus that for once is singing on the same note Among the refrains the most interesting statements have come from judges From state supreme court justices in North Carolina California Maryland Washington state Texas and New York the acknowledgment of racial injustice in the work of their systems represents a historical marker and a sign of hopeLike any milepost on the highway however historical markers show where we are not the road ahead To move beyond the moment when one man39s murder has galvanized the country to removing the causes of his death requires choices Among them the choice to engage by speaking out calling and writing elected officials and supporting causes that champion reform to get involved in the community including across racial and economic lines and to vote for leaders who offer solutions not sound bites to remove racial injusticeMay 25 2020 To be sure the date of George Floyd39s murder is a historical moment Whether it represents a turning point remains to be seen In acknowledging the disparities in the administration of justice for African Americans Chief Justice Cheri Beasley of North Carolina39s Supreme Court couldn39t have put its potential more clearly quotAs chief justice it is my responsibility to take ownership of the way our courts administer justice and acknowledge that we must do better we must be betterquot So true for us allClick the social buttons to share this story with colleagues and friendsThe opinions expressed here are the author39s views and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNet

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May 25, 2020: A Date and a Choice

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Kent M. Harrington

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May 25, 2020: A Date and a Choice

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