Top 5 Articles: Minnesota, George Floyd, protest, police, American racism
A focus on racialized violence
Your Top 5 Articles this week is a bit different:
This week’s Top 5 focus is on the killing of George Floyd, and more recently, the murders of Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery and the on-camera threats received by Christian Cooper. The articles cover a multitude of angles on the long-standing American crisis of racism.
“Of Course There Are Protests. The State Is Failing Black People.” (NYT)
Because “The convergence of these tragic events — a pandemic disproportionately killing black people, the failure of the state to protect black people and the preying on black people by the police — has confirmed what most of us already know: If we and those who stand with us do not mobilize in our own defense, then no official entity ever will.”
“1 important fact about the Minneapolis police department” (The Week)
Because “Most of the work we need to prevent deaths like Floyd's must happen at the city or state level, and each of these governments has its own mix of policy and cultural problems. Minneapolis is no different in this regard, but one of aspect of its police force truly stands out: Minneapolis cops overwhelmingly do not live in the city they police.”
“My fellow brothers and sisters in blue, what the hell are you doing?” (Washington Post)
Because, as Rep. Val Demings writes, “As a nation, we must conduct a serious review of hiring standards and practices, diversity, training, use-of-force policies, pay and benefits (remember, you get what you pay for), early warning programs, and recruit training programs. Remember, officers who train police recruits are setting the standard for what is acceptable and unacceptable on the street.”
“Column: George Floyd, Central Park and the familiar terror they inspire” (LA Times)
Because “For those of you who are tired of reading about racism, trust me when I say this — I’m tired of writing about it.”
“George Floyd Left a Gospel Legacy in Houston” (Christianity Today)
Because “…in Houston’s Third Ward, they know Floyd for how he lived for decades—a mentor to a generation of young men and a ‘person of peace’ ushering ministries into the area.”
Image is of a group of protesters gathers outside the home of Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman in Minneapolis. Image credit: Stephen Maturen/Getty.