One year has passed since the death of George Floyd

It has been one year since the death of George Floyd by former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who was subsequently convicted of murder. It’s a day of remembering and considering the state of racial justice in America. We spoke with Jacob Raiford, of the W.E. Rising Project, an organization committed to raising awareness to police brutality.

Raiford reflects upon the gravity of this day and what it has brought in terms of discussion, “it’s really been an awakening eye opening experience for America, you know these are issues that we’ve been talking about for generations. And it took the unfortunate murders of both George Floyd and Dion Johnson, and the subsequent, you know just dissemination of this information to the general public, you know, the social media and whatnot to and the making of this a dinner table conversation,” Raiford said.

He went on to say that these conversations are starting to change the way we approach situations. “We’re finally having conversations about how we can use our… you know first responder departments to our benefit. In Phoenix, for instance, such as the initiatives for the neighborhood organized Crisis Assistance Program. So, those are various ways in which we are finding ways to find progress in our community,” Raiford said.

When asked ‘how this impacts Raiford personally, he responded, “I’m a black man in America. This is something that personally affects me. You know, these are one of many individuals who can say that this does hit home. You know the conversations surrounding George Floyd and Dion Johnson. It’s not just conversation. This is real reality. You know when you think of police brutality, and when you think of people who are affected by this, they don’t have the luxury of having people represent them and you know.. posthumously protect their legacy.”