Array

New York, NY (May 24, 2024) – Rev. Al Sharpton, the Founder and President of the National Action Network (NAN), issued the following statement on the reintroduction of the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act. The legislation, led by Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, has been a priority for Rev. Sharpton and NAN in the four years since Floyd was murdered by a Minneapolis police officer who kneeled on his neck for eight minutes and 46 seconds.

Among the bill’s most meaningful actions is an end to qualified immunity, which would hold law enforcement members liable when they break the public trust. Rev. Sharpton, who delivered Floyd’s eulogy, joined his family two years ago when President Biden signed the Advancing Effective, Accountable Policing and Criminal Justice Practices to Enhance Public Trust and Public Safety executive order.

“The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act fulfills a promise we made four years ago to his and every family of a Black man or woman killed by law enforcement. George’s death sent shockwaves around the world, with a global mandate to hold police accountable when they abuse the public trust. Until cops know they can lose their job, their pension, or their house, they will continue to use excessive force and betray the public trust. I made this clear at George’s funeral four years ago. We continued this call as the National Action Network gathered more than 200,000 people to the Lincoln Memorial – at the height of the pandemic – to demand not only justice, but a better system of accountability. And I echoed this need at Tyre Nichols’ funeral last year. Vice President Harris stood in front of Tyre’s casket and vowed President Biden would sign this law the minute Congress passed it.

Now it’s time to get it done. The National Action Network calls on Congress to pass this bill this year to finally deliver the balance in the system we have spent decades marching, protesting, and advocating for. The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act sends a simple, yet powerful message to law enforcement: We need you in Black and Brown communities, but we need you to work with us — not against. We voted in Congressional lawmakers who took an oath to make this a just nation for all, and we will continue to hold them to their word.”

About National Action Network (NAN)
National Action Network is one of the leading civil rights organizations in the Nation with chapters throughout the entire United States. Founded in 1991 by Reverend Al Sharpton, NAN works within the spirit and tradition of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to promote a modern civil rights agenda that includes the fight for one standard of justice, decency, and equal opportunities for all people regardless of race, religion, nationality, or gender.

For more information go to www.nationalactionnetwork.net.

###