George Floyd's death is a failure of generations of leadership

Published Wed, Jun 3, 2020 · 09:50 PM

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 …