"I Can't Breathe"

May 25th 2024, marked the fourth anniversary of the murder of George Floyd.

“I can’t breathe”

Four years ago, these were the last words of George Perry Floyd Jr. as his life was taken from him in a horrifying display of police brutality at the hands of police in Minneapolis, USA. Despite the prevalence of police killings of black and other Americans of colour, the public brutality of the event, caught on video, sparked an international movement and outcry for racial justice, including here in Stroud.

The murder of George Floyd sparked the Black Lives Matter Movement and a demand to reimagine our public safety system. Systems of policing in both the US and the UK have been shown to be institutionally racist and far too often lack police accountability.

In the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd and the subsequent protests, organisations and institutions have been compelled to reflect and take action against racism and how it is manifested in all aspects of society: policing, criminal justice, health, housing, education, and culture. 

 Much of the current data shows slow progress on current conditions of racism and inequality. Research in the Evidence for Equality National Survey, conducted by the University of Manchester, St Andrew’s and King’s College London, identified persisting racism in the UK. Dr Dharmi Kapadia, of the University of Manchester concluded that:

“Our data is stark evidence that racism is an enduring feature of British society today… We need to seriously transform the policies and procedures that enable racist discrimination to persist in order to ensure better outcomes and life chances for ethnic and religious minority people.”

The name of George Floyd is symbolic of a movement for change and justice. We will never forget the words, “I can’t breathe.” We will never forget the nine-minute and 29-second lynching of George Floyd.

The rallies of four years ago may have gone, but the commitment to justice remains. On this day, Stroud Against Racism honours the Gentle Giant’s legacy by demanding policing that is less omnipresent, discriminatory, and truly accountable. We aim to hold ourselves accountable for working towards an equitable and just society for all.