The killing of George Floyd last May accelerated America's reckoning with its history of racial injustice, but the US has yet to emulate post-apartheid South Africa or Argentina and Chile after their bloody dictatorships. Ultimately, true and lasting change requires the direct involvement of political institutions.
NEW YORK – The start of the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin has returned the spotlight to the racial reckoning that accelerated after May 25, 2020, when Chauvin’s knee ended George Floyd’s life. Since then, massive urban protests, the toppling of Confederate statuary, and culture wars on university campuses have led many to believe that a semblance of racial justice in America might finally be achieved. But to produce true and lasting change, America’s governing institutions will need to become directly involved.
NEW YORK – The start of the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin has returned the spotlight to the racial reckoning that accelerated after May 25, 2020, when Chauvin’s knee ended George Floyd’s life. Since then, massive urban protests, the toppling of Confederate statuary, and culture wars on university campuses have led many to believe that a semblance of racial justice in America might finally be achieved. But to produce true and lasting change, America’s governing institutions will need to become directly involved.