Black History Fact #10: The George Floyd Protest

What's going on everybody welcome to another episode of a day with crime, black history fact edition. Of course, I'm your man. David let's jump in. Today, I'm going to talk to you about something that took place in 2020. But it is still very fresh, in our minds, it always should be. And I'm going to tell you what I think. 

This one had more of an effect than any other time these things has happened in history. We're 

we're going to talk [00:01:00] about the George Floyd protests. 

The movement's swelled to a critical juncture on May 25th, 2020. In the midst of the COVID-19 epidemic. When 46 year old George Floyd died. After being handcuffed and pinned to the ground by police officer Derek Chauvin. Chauvin was filmed kneeling on Floyd's neck for more than eight minutes. Lloyd had been accused of using a counterfeit $20 bill at a local deli in Minneapolis. 

All four officers involved in the incident were fired. In April, 2021 Chauvin was convicted of second degree, unintentional murder. Third degree murder and second degree manslaughter. 

The three other officers were charged with aiding and abetting murder. Floyd's killing came on the heels of two other high profile cases, in 2020. On February 23rd, 25 year old Ahmad Arbery was killed while out on a run after [00:02:00] being followed by three white men. in a pickup truck. And on March 13, 26 year old EMT Brionna Taylor 

was shot eight times and killed after the police broke down the door to her apartment. while executing a nighttime warrant. 

On May 26, 2020 the day after Floyd's death. Protestors in Minneapolis took to the streets to protest Floyds killing. Police cars were set on fire and officers released tear gas, to disperse crowds. After months of quarantine and isolation during a global pandemic. Protests mounted. It's spreading across the country. 

In the following days and weeks. 

So let's talk about it just a little bit here about the George Floyd protests while I think that this had a different effect than any other time. First, I want to start by saying this. Because a lot of people has come down and said that African Americans. We supported. All [00:03:00] of the looting and all of the burning of police cars and things of that nature. 

I cannot speak for everybody else, but I can tell you, I do not support that. I don't think we get anything out of, destroying property, other than what we have been categorized. As, as it already is. That we're angry and that we're violent and that we want to attack people. But I will say this. If you get a dog and lock him in a cage long enough, and you poke a stick at them and you don't feed them for 8, 9, 10, 12 days. 

What's going to happen when you open that cage. It's the same thing with us. When you poke it as so much. And things continue to happen and nobody cares that it's happening. And you're preaching the same message over and over and over and over again. Eventually those things are going to blow up on you. 

And they're going to spill out. And when it [00:04:00] does. It is not going to be very good. So, although. I do not condone it. I certainly understand it. I have been caught in some of these situations, myself. Where you just feel like, man, if I could just. You know, get out, knock him out. But violence is not the answer. So I just wanted to clear, 

that up, you heard that from me because when we actually did the George Floyd murder on our podcast, Which you can find it on our website. I was called off a bunch of stuff. And one of those was oh yeah you condone black people tearing this up, but you don't condone white people carrying guns and all this stuff. And I was like, you never heard me say that, 

a day in my life. So the reason I think. The George Floyd murder was different. Was one simple reason. And that was, it was in everybody's face. You [00:05:00] could not run from it. It was a bad TV show. For the first time white people had to sit and had to witness. what we have been preaching about for so long that it happens and that nobody seems to care. 

But often we're told all you guys is make this up. He had to do something to warrant it. You saw that with your own eyes. Now I've got the question well Ahmad Arbery he was killed in that same time. True. He was killed in 2020. But he was killed before. The mandated shutdown took place. He was killed before. 

COVID-19 sunk in. We then get locked down until about March of 2020. This took place in May. By this time everybody's been locked up 

about a couple months. Everybody's tired. everybody's was watching TV. And here you go. As [00:06:00] tragic as the George Floyd killing was. His baby girl made a statement that rings true, which is my daddy change the world. We want to go back. To the time of Emmett Till. This is why George Floyd Emmett Till's family connected so well. 

because it's the same thing. What You watched on TV was a lynching. Just in modern times. What happened to Emmett Till no matter how you look at it was a lynching. He was tied to a cotton gin fan and thrown over, into the river. That's a lynching. Thing is nobody saw Emmett Till's happen and they could. 

Spin it any way they want it to, if you know the whole thing about Emmett Till, oh, they tried to spend that four or five, six different ways. How did you know that it was the teal boy? Did you remove the ring off his finger yourself? [00:07:00] We can't prove it was Emmett TIll they said they released him. Man come on. 

You knew it was Emmett Till they just didn't want to admit that. You couldn't say that in the case of George Floyd. Let me clear up one other misconception that everybody seems to throw us into the category. We was accused when we did the George Floyd episode. 

That we was taking up for him and he obviously was high. Whatever the case is. We don't take up for those things. We give it to you straight. And we did say, Hey, it's very possible from looking at some of the tape that George Floyd was. Under the influence. That's very possible. Don't know if he pass the Counterfit 20, but I saw the tape of him in the store. Handing the money to the guy who called the police on him. 

But if you saw that, let me tell you what that crime would have led to doing pandemic times. In Minneapolis, that would have been a misdemeanor which means that George Floyd would've [00:08:00] gotten a ticket to appear in court. They wouldn't even taken him to jail because the jails was crowded and it was COVID 19. 

Which proves that what Derek Chauvin did. Was way out of protocol. He was taken out of his car. As he was cooperating. 

George Floyd never made any gestures. He never was disrespectful. He never said he wouldn't do anything. He cooperated with the police the whole time when they came to his car, when they took him out of the car. Of course he was asking, why are you taking him out of the car? They go to put them on the ground. He's begging and not to go put on the ground. He's trying to tell him that he had a problem. No, one's listening. 

Then you handcuffed the man, you put your knee on his neck for eight minutes. 

Do you guys know how long eight minutes is?

Most of us, we go to work and we do [00:09:00] a task. And. Good Lord. We think that we've already spent. 10 15 minutes. And there's only been one minute. Now, imagine somebody kneel on your neck for that. Long. 

Derek Chauvin was arrested and he was convicted. As you heard. When it comes to the other police, even though my opinion may not be very popular. I don't remember all their names and I will say this. I told everybody they were going to get off. One was brand new and he was following Chauvin's orders. 

Which. Was his superior officer. The other cop was asking him, can we flip him over? Now that cop, I don't know if I would've put in jail because he was actually asking Derek Chauvin and he said, man, look, we can't kneel on his neck like that can you, can you put them up? Can you flip them over? And Chauvin was like, no, he's fine the way that it is. 

But I told everybody they wouldn't get convicted because of the fact that [00:10:00] they didn't really do anything. Now, the one cop that was just following orders. I will say this, there is a time in life. where you have to do something that is right. No matter what it may cost you. 

And I know for some people out there, that's like just pulling at it. But I'm telling you the truth. What would you do? If he was walking down the street. And you saw an innocent woman or innocent man getting beat up for no apparent reason. Do you just walk by? Is that not going to bother you. Or do you feel that you have to insert yourself somehow? 

To make sure that this person is okay. Until you can get somebody there that can help them. I think that the cops could have made a judgment call and said, Hey, I understand that this is going against you as my leader, but I'm not gonna let you do this. And pull him up. I would have pulled him off his neck. 

He could have been mad at me. He could have wrote me up. He could do whatever he wanted to do, but I would have pulled [00:11:00] him off of George Floyd's neck for the simple fact of you're not going to kill this man or anybody else on my watch. And if you keep doing this with his labored breathing, he's not going to make it. 

That would have been what I would've done. 

So let the protest of George Floyd kind of be a lesson. Of what happens when people is trapped and they have to watch what is going on in the world. Because of that protest, not only did African Americans, but people of all races and colors showed up to this protest, there was many protests thrown around the world. California was no exception. 

And I did hear a white person on the news actually say, they asked, why are you here in this protest? And this was so she said, She said, because it was so long as a white American, we've been turning our head to this because we did not know it was this bad. Now that you have to watch this though. [00:12:00] You know exactly how bad it is. 

As you do know in the Ahmaud Arbery case. The three men were convicted, by the state. And now they're up for a federal crime, because they're trying to put a hate crime on there. It differs from the state, charge. Because they're actually looking at whether race played a role and they're going to explore that. 

These three individuals. Have been trying to get out of this ever since they were convicted. On the state level. 

As a matter of fact, they try to put in a plea deal. And the judge rejected that as well. 

 I don't feel that the sentence that Chauvin got was enough. I do believe that if it was somebody, my skin tone. We would be in jail for life right now. [00:13:00] 

And if anybody thinks differently, I'm open to your opinion. But I've seen it before. African Americans gets stiffer sentences for the same crime, then their white counterparts. And it's not fair, and it's something that we continue to fight for. And maybe George Floyd, and the sacrifice that he made with his life, 

will begin that. So rest in peace of George Floyd. Heart goes out to his family. And I hope that everybody learns something, from what happened to him so that his life was not taken in vain. 

Alright guys that does it for this one. I appreciate you hanging out for yet another black history fact. Join me again tomorrow. When I'll be back with yet another one for you. As always you can reach out to at adaywithcrime@gmail.com give [00:14:00] us any feedback. That you like or anything you'd like to say. 

Make sure you also do check out the website, www.adaywithcrime.com we do drop true crime cases there every Monday. 

And with that said guys as always. Be good to yourself. And to each other. And I'm gonna catch you on the next one.