For Immediate Release:
Tuesday, April 20, 2021
Madison, WI – AFT-Wisconsin President Kim Kohlhaas has responded to the verdict as
follows:
“The death of George Floyd at the hands of Derek Chauvin was an outrage. I am
overwhelmed by the guilty verdicts. Even though a police officer was held accountable
this time, we aren’t done. A single trial does not create systemic change.
George Floyd’s death was sad and maddening in so many ways. We cannot have the same
conversation next week about the next victim. The issue is a system that targets people
like George Floyd, Daunte Wright, Jacob Blake, Breonna Taylor, and so many more. We still
need radical reform of policing, and we still need bold legislation that addresses all the
unaddressed problems that contribute to the needless, shameful deaths of people of color.
As unionists, we have an important role to play in bringing people together, highlighting
issues and fighting for equality. We will continue to fight against budgets that invest too
much in policing and too little in public education, affordable housing, and all the other
community needs that would better serve the cause of peace and prosperity for all of us.
We will continue to fight for school curricula and workplace policies that are anti-racist.
We stand together with all our members of color, and with all those targeted by a society
that systematically denies true justice for all.”
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