Floyd, Taylor kin talk to panel

Family members of Breyonna Taylor and George Floyd sat down with media panelists Sunday evening via Zoom, including the Pine Bluff Commercial, to discuss systemic oppression, injustice, and what their families have endured since the tragic killings of their loved ones.
Family members of Breyonna Taylor and George Floyd sat down with media panelists Sunday evening via Zoom, including the Pine Bluff Commercial, to discuss systemic oppression, injustice, and what their families have endured since the tragic killings of their loved ones.

Family members of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd sat down with media panelists, including the Pine Bluff Commercial, to discuss systemic racism and injustice and what their families have endured since the tragic killings of their loved ones.

Hosted by DuShun Scarbrough, the executive director of the Arkansas Martin Luther King Jr. Commission, the conversation took place Sunday evening on Zoom.

Selwyn Jones, the uncle of Floyd, and Tawanna Gordon, a close cousin of Taylor, weighed in on the conversation concerning their family's experiences. Joining the conversation from the King Commission were Paul Davis and Gerald Canada, along with Broadway Joe Booker of Power 92 Jams and Fox 16 news anchor Donna Terrell.

In March, Taylor, an emergency medical technician, was shot and killed by Louisville police officers during a no-knock raid on her apartment. On May 25 while the country was battling a pandemic, the world watched 46-year-oldFloyd take his last breath, while Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin put his knee on Floyd's neck.

Both incidents sparked worldwide protests, which many describe as a new civil rights movement.

"It's the biggest civil rights movement ever," agreed Jones, who said if it weren't for social media, his nephew would be just another dead Black man. Now that Chauvin has been released on $1 million bond, Jones said he wasn't surprised.

"That is how the system has always been," he said. "What surprised me and irritated me is that you can murder my nephew in front of 6 billion people and right now, you know where he is, he's in Florida getting a tan."

Jones described that as a slap in the face and a message that exposes a corrupt judicial system that his family is seeking to change.

"My nephew can't breathe, he can't talk, he can't call me Unc, he can't hold his baby," said an emotional Jones. "How do you get charged with first-degree murder, bond out, from what I gathered from the union, and make that decision to say OK, you're going to let him go to Florida for protection. That's the craziest thing I've ever heard in my life."

Gordon said her family is still in the fight and not giving up until justice is served. Recently filing a motion in regards to the grand jury's decision, Gordon said they are patiently waiting for a decision by the court. A grand jury looked into Taylor's killing but came back with three counts of wanton endangerment instead of homicide charges that many were expecting.

"At the end of the day the justice system is flawed because the system is not for us," she said. "We have a power in voting and it seems to be a consistency that our people don't vote until there is a presidential election and that's what hurts us."

Gordon spoke from experience, referring to Kentucky's attorney general who, Gordon said, crippled the justice for Taylor. "We all saw what happened," she said. "Do your background and know where they come from, what their ideology is, what their beliefs are. Just don't vote for them because of their race."

Canada said cases such as Taylor's become predictable in their outcomes because it has become a pattern in similar situations by so many other Black citizens who have died at the hands of law enforcement officials.

"There is going to be some shenanigans possibly that we think that's going to be in the court system," he said. "Bails that mysteriously pop up, evidence tampered with, charges getting lessened -- it's predictable that we are going to feel like it's not going to be a fairness in our judicial system as it applies to us."

Jones said the latest in Floyd's case is the trial being moved to a different venue. "You tell me where can you move this trial where they are going to let 11 Black people on the jury," he said.

Canada said justice is only going to prevail in situations when courts try the case based on facts, and they don't yield to outside influences such as social media and public opinion.

"They try the case based on the facts so that the judicial system works for all, especially for people of color," he said. "That's the only way we're going to have faith in the system."

To move toward change, both families are using their voices and social media platforms to bring awareness to systemic oppression and injustices, a platform that Jones said changed when a high school student filmed his nephew's last moments alive.

"I have lived in 40 states and I am going to continue to do my part and take care of my nephew," said Jones. "Everything is important to me right now."

Jones said he has received letters from around the world that make him hopeful change will come. "When an old 75-year-old white lady tells me 'Mr. Jones, I am sorry for how my race treated your race,' I'm optimistic. We have to educate and communicate and we can make a change."

Jones said there has also been some bad response on social media, but he said he's glad social media allows voices to be heard that would usually be shunned.

"As long as we got social media and the way it is now, everybody has a voice," he said. "It's just how you use that voice."

Canada weighed in with his belief that change must start at the top, and he said he hopes a new presidential administration understands the plight of the Black race because he will inherit the cases of both of these families.

Canada, who resides in White Hall, said that even on a local level, though there have been some positive changes, there is still a lot of work to be done.

"There was just recently a horrific incident in White Hall at a fast-food restaurant that was degrading to our race," he said referring to a Black restaurant worker in White Hall who was said to have been spat on by white customers. "It was not resolved in a manner that was beneficial to us," he said.

Canada said that even in Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s peacefulness, he still challenged injustices.

"He wasn't afraid to speak out against things that were not in favor of people of color. We have to make good trouble," said Canada. "We have to have uncomfortable conversations and we got to be willing to accept the consequences for the greater good. Point out injustices when it's prevalent. Point out racism when it's obvious and point out the wrongness in the court system when they gravely affect us."

Gordon has compiled protest groups, not just for her cousin, but for anyone who has endured systemic oppression and racism. "This is just not a Breonna Taylor Movement, this is for all black and brown people that have experienced some type of injustice by police brutality or other and we are going to address it," she said. "We are going to keep yelling and keep addressing the demands until they are met."

Commissioner Davis said the events that happened to the Floyd and Taylor families are not isolated events and just add to the many years of a system that has not been in favor of people of color.

"When you look at the compilation of all of this, you have a story to tell," he said. "We have to keep this thing moving. This is a compilation of stuff over the years that has been happening and it's to the point where it's coming to a head , and we've got to stop it."

In order to promote change, Scarbrough said it will take the efforts of the entire community.

"To create a beloved community takes the community," he said. "Losing unarmed citizens hurt the community. Losing police officers hurt the community. We need collaborations, talks with law enforcement, victims, lawmakers, grass root community leaders, and youth lawmakers, to get to the root of the problem. It's going to take some work and we must be willing to put in the work."

Both families said they have forgiven the officers and do not hold malice or hate in their hearts toward them.

"We can't just target police officers," said Gordon, who added that one of the officers showed remorse during a public interview. "It's the whole system that is the issue and we know it's not totally them."

"I'm not mad at any individual person," said Jones referring to the officers involved in Floyd's death. "What I am mad at is the system."

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