One year ago, our country witnessed (via bystander video) another Black man being killed by police. He wasn’t the first and, unfortunately, he wasn’t the last, but George Floyd’s death put into motion a racial reckoning that our country has long needed. 

People took to the streets across our country and around the world, demanding justice and accountability, not only for George Floyd, but countless others. We chanted their names. We stood and kneeled in solidarity. We gave our time, money, votes and voices to say that Black Lives Matter.

 A movement was solidified and racial reckoning began.

We saw businesses recognize Juneteenth and make public commitments to racial equity. Confederate statues and other symbols of hate fell across the country. Police accountability bills were introduced in Congress. In April, former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was convicted for the murder of George Floyd, offering a glimpse of what police accountability could look like.

Yet, Black communities and other communities of color continue to suffer inequality, inequity, and hate. Today, as we observe the one-year commemoration of the death of George Floyd, YWCA National Capital Area is taking time to reflect on our mission of eliminating racism and think about what each of us can do to support racial justice.

Here are some ideas:

• Call your senators and representatives and ask them to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, a first step toward ending the use of racial profiling and excessive force by police and ensuring police accountability.
• Join our sister agency, YWCA St. Paul, for a Morning of Reflection (May 25, 9 am CST/10 am EST) in memory of George Floyd.
• Participate in the George Floyd “Day of Enlightenment,” which will commemorate May 25 as the day the world came together for a common purpose and opened its eyes to the plight of Black Americans.
• Review and use the Racial Reckoning: A Healing Toolkit to practice thinking deeply and intentionally about how to care for one another and center healing practices during this time of reflection on the past year.
• Join us next month–June 30, 2021 at 6:30 pm on Zoom–for our next Courageous Conversation, “A Summer of Racial Justice Activism: One Year Later,” where activists & advocates will discuss and reflect on the nationwide racial justice activations during the summer of 2020. We hope you can join us for this important discussion. RSVP at  http://bit.ly/SummerofRacialJusticeActivism