#GeorgeFloyd

To our community:

Today we want to share our absolute distress at the horrific event that has happened in our community.

George Floyd, an African-American man, was killed at 38th and Chicago by a police officer who knelt on his neck for an extended period while he begged to breathe. He begged for his life.

This was captured on video and shared on Facebook by pedestrians on the street who also pleaded with the officers to not kill Mr. Floyd. It is extremely painful to watch. I know that the footage of this event has been seen by many of you, and many of our students, and that we are all hurting today.

It is important that we don’t look away. It is important that we as an Achieve community acknowledge that this man was killed for nothing more than being black, in a society that has criminalized the existence of people of color. The disregard for this man’s life is simply intolerable, but at the same time, all too familiar for people of color and indigenous people.

As Mayor Frey said today, “Being black in America shouldn’t be a death sentence”. But it was for Mr. Floyd and for too many other men and women across our country.

I expect that this event has caused trauma for us all, and for the young people we work with. The four officers involved have been fired, but that does nothing to repair the damage they have done.

Over the last couple of months I have encouraged our team to be gentle with ourselves and with others. This has never been so true as today. I grieve alongside all of you, for Mr. Floyd, and for our community.

Together we must continue to fight racism in all of its forms on behalf of our communities, our families and our young people.

Danielle Grant
AchieveMpls President and CEO