Seattle, WA — Councilmember Tammy J. Morales (District 2, South Seattle and the CID), together with Community representatives, issued the following statement in response to Verdict in Minneapolis:
“While the jury found Derek Chauvin guilty of all charges, one conviction does not change the 400 years of systemic racism in our country. This was still a needless loss of George Floyd’s life at the hands of a state actor and it must end. On May 25th , we will mark the one year anniversary of George Floyd. Our BIPOC communities deserve radical change. We must continue to center Black and Brown voices and their lived experiences in our policy making to repair the harm.
“While the world focuses on Minneapolis, we must acknowledge that the same historical wrongs are sewn into the fabric of Seattle. We live in radical truth that our systems of historical disinvestment in Black and Brown communities benefit the few at the expense of the many.
“I want to remind Mayor Jenny Durkan and Interim Chief Diaz that people are allowed to express righteous anger to bring grievances of injustice in our governmental system. It is our responsibility to allow the residents of Seattle to exercise their first amendment right.
“To my District 2 neighbors – We see you. We hear you. And we will stand with you to repair the harm done by generations of systemic injustice.”
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