THE circumstances that led to the police killings of George Floyd and thousands of other citizens over the years could have been avoided if our elected officials in the 1960s had responded to protesters' demands for socio-economic inclusion. Instead, policy makers blamed black people for the instability, ignoring the build-up of centuries of racial oppression. They pursued a misguided policy path that has failed to keep communities of colour safe for more than 50 years.

The police have long operated as guardians in white and middle-class communities, protecting property from outsiders. But in segregated urban neighbourhoods, officials have deployed militarised police forces and expanded the prison system instead of working to address the root causes of the uprisings: mass unemployment, failing public schools, dilapidated housing and the deterioration of basic public goods like clean water.

We can't let history repeat itself. While flames engulf at least 140 cities across the country, we must create a more egalitarian society out of the ashes by transforming policing.