Press Releases

Miami, FL – Congresswoman Frederica S. Wilson issued the following statement to mark the anniversary of George Floyd's murder:

"Today marks the one-year anniversary of the death of George Floyd, whose life was barbarically cut short as former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin literally took his breath away. Because of then-17-year-old Darnella Frazier's courageous decision to record nine minutes and 29 seconds of Floyd's last moments, millions of people across the globe not only witnessed his murder, but also were forced to view race and racism through a vastly more realistic lens.

"A lot has changed since May 25, 2020. Millions of people of all races and ethnicities poured out into the streets for weeks in the midst of a pandemic to protest Chauvin's cold-blooded actions. Confederate monuments have been removed. Diversifying the workplace has become less of a politically correct theory and more of an action taking place in businesses and corporations across the United States. Greater investments are being made in black businesses, communities, and arts, and several states have passed police reform legislation.

"But the more things change, the more they stay the same. Black Americans are three times as likely to be killed by the police than whites. And, since Floyd's murder, several other unarmed black men have been slain by police officers. Their families are still crying for justice. As we near the end of the pandemic and return to more normal lives, I pray that the millions of people who rallied for justice throughout this past year will not stop fighting for it. I know I won't."