Hopeful reflection at George Floyd Square following DOJ findings
While the findings from the federal investigation into the Minneapolis Police Department were shared, feelings of hope were popping up throughout the community.
Friday morning, United States Attorney General Merrick Garland broke down what the federal government found during their more than two-year scope of the MPD.
“The patterns and practices we observed made what happened to George Floyd possible,” Garland said. “We found that the Minneapolis Police Department routinely uses excessive force, often when no force is necessary.”
Garland accuses the MPD of engaging in a pattern of racist and abusive behavior that violated people’s constitutional rights. The City of Minneapolis and the federal government will now enter into a court-ordered agreement to address those issues.
Throughout the day, where Floyd was murdered, on the corner of 38th and Chicago Avenue, community members and visitors from all over the world paid their respect and reflected on the DOJ’s findings.
“It’s nice that they’re actually coming to a conclusion and rectifying what, what needs to be fixed,” Veronica Falodun, who visited George Floyd Square from Ohio with her family, said.
“It was really important for us as a family to actually experience this, especially the young ones in light of what happened and make them aware of what’s going on,” she added.
Another first-time visitor to south Minneapolis was Trecia McLennon, who while in town for business from Canada said a stop at George Floyd Square was a must.
“I think coming here was very important to remember and make sure that we keep up the struggle for freedom, [for] fairness, and for liberation of human beings all over the world, which is what he has sparked,” McLennon said of Floyd’s impact.
She says she’s feeling hopeful for the future following the DOJ’s discovery and plans to address the problems.
“[Moving] forward better, and also, hopefully forward together,” McLennon, a Black woman herself, said. “Oftentimes, Black people are not listened to when they talk about their experiences and that this contributes to that and hopefully this will help lead to a place of solutions and stopping this from happening again.”