A Statement from ISLG on the Murder of George Floyd
The recent murder of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officers, along with the killing of Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and countless others over the years is a horrifying and brutal reminder of the role that our history of slavery and structural racism continues to play in our justice system and government more broadly. ISLG stands with Black and all marginalized communities in their fight for equal justice.
From its inception, ISLG has been committed to achieving racial and other forms of equality through our work with state and local governments and the communities they serve. As the recent cases of police violence make clear, there is much to be done to advance this equality and we are committed to that work.
In the past, we have leveraged government partnerships to shed light on inequalities that are apparent in cities around the nation; to reduce disparities in the criminal justice system; and to help CUNY create and sustain upward mobility for our students with limited financial resources.
ISLG was created on the premise that local and state governments must be a large part of the solution to realizing multi-faceted equalities and human dignity for all community members, and we have all come up short in attaining that goal. In order for government operations, policy and practice to be fair, inclusive and effective, they must be informed and participated in by diverse communities of color who have been disproportionately impacted by our history of slavery, oppression and discrimination.
We have worked hard to help our government partners build relationships and collaborate on partnerships with community level service providers, not-for-profit organizations and community members wherever possible. We are committed to doing more and better in helping government advance the highest ideals of justice and equality.
If the tragic last nine minutes of George Floyd’s life can help power and inform a broad social movement that forces governments at all levels to re-examine and re-imagine what justice looks like, then that will be a powerful legacy that Mr. Floyd leaves behind.
Michael Jacobson
Executive Director
CUNY Institute for State and Local Governance
Professor, Sociology Department CUNY Graduate Center