Time is Now to Heal Wounds Between Law Enforcement and Black Community

COLUMBUS, OH – Today, U.S. Congresswoman Joyce Beatty (OH-03) issued a statement on the protests in the City of Columbus last night following the senseless deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and the arrest of Christopher Radden:

"I am infuriated by videos and reports of unjustified killings of Black men and women at the hands of law enforcement. The history and trauma of racism and Jim Crow is not a memory of the past, but is a reality still today, exacerbated by the fact that Black Americans are disproportionately the targets of injustices ranging from mass incarceration and police brutality, to the War on Drugs and COVID-19. The recent killings of unarmed George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor reinforce these facts and harken back to the painful memories of Emmett Till.

People are justifiably angered, crying out for answers but finding none. So, our community rose up in righteous anger, demanding justice for George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and Christopher Radden, with the hope that demonstrating and protesting would bring to an end the legacy of racial terror that still plagues this nation.

I too am angry, frustrated, and heartbroken by the countless injustices that often go unpunished that we have all witnessed on a regular basis. These dehumanizing acts of violence are an outrage and an American-made tragedy that continues unabated against our men, women and communities.

Last night's protest is a demand for change. How many more Black men must suffer or worse yet be brutally and callously murdered? America is watching. Where is the justice? How do we heal from the past memories of racial terror and lynchings when they are still alive today?

I support peaceful protests for change and a path to restorative justice because now, more than ever, is a time for action and non-violence."

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