Congresswoman Cori Bush’s Statement on the One-Year Anniversary of the Police Murder of George Floyd
ST. LOUIS, MO – Today, Congresswoman Cori Bush (MO-01), released the following statement in observance of the one-year anniversary of the torture and murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota:
“George Floyd had a rich and loving life that was taken from him. It was taken from his daughter, Gianna. It was taken from his brother, Philonise. It was taken from each and every person who knew and loved him. That is what I’m thinking about today.
“We must acknowledge that the knee on George Floyd’s neck was just one injustice in a series of compounding systems of racism and structural inequity that he experienced in his life. A descendant of enslaved people, George Floyd was born with generational trauma in his DNA and denied the generational wealth that belonged to his family. He survived the vicious cycle of our racist incarceration system and opioid crisis. He suffered through COVID-19 like so many Black and brown people across our communities.
“Despite the adversity that George Floyd endured, he was full of life and love for his family, friends, and loved ones. It was in honor of his life that millions took to the streets in struggle for a world where George Floyd would never have been taken from us. We honor his life, legacy, and name by doing the work of achieving justice each and every day.
“Honoring George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Michael Brown Jr., and too many other Black people taken from our communities by state violence is at the heart of why we legislate in defense of Black lives—and it’s why we lead with an agenda rooted in saving lives. It’s why we are committed to ensuring the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act puts an end to qualified immunity once and for all. It’s why we are committed to shifting away from a reliance on systems of policing and incarceration that perpetuate violence and trauma on Black and brown communities and towards systems that value our humanity and truly keep us safe. George Floyd should still be here today—and it is in his name that we will continue to fight until justice is won for everyone.”
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Congresswoman Cori Bush represents Missouri’s First Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives. She serves on the House Judiciary Committee and the House Committee on Oversight and Reform. She is also a Deputy Whip of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and a proud member of the Congressional Black Caucus. She is a registered nurse, single mother, and an ordained pastor. Following the murder of Michael Brown Jr. by a now-terminated Ferguson police officer, she became a civil rights activist and community organizer fighting for justice for Black lives on the streets of Missouri and across the country.