In this article, Type Media Center fellow Elie Mystal discusses the fleeting nature of white solidarity following George Floyd’s murder, as well as the lack of meaningful police reform, and the alarming statistics of police violence against people of color.
Highlights
- Short-Lived Solidarity: Mystal reflects on the protests following the murder of George Floyd by police officer Derek Chauvin, noting his own prediction that white solidarity would die out quickly–a prediction that came true.
- Inverse Records: The article raises the particularly notable statistic from Mapping Police Violence’s report that, while 2023 was the most homicidal year on record for the police, the murder rate by civilians actually decreased.
- Biased Violence: Mystal highlights the skew of police violence towards Black Americans, who were 2.6 times more likely to be killed by the police than white Americans. He also notes that, compared to white people, Native Americans are 2.2 times more likely to be killed by police, and Latinos are 1.3 times more likely.
- Limited Tracking: A significant limit to the data that Mystal notes is that the report only tracks the number of deaths by police, and therefore does not account for “the people who miraculously survived their encounter with predatory police and escaped with only broken limbs, perforated lungs, or lifetime psychological scars.”
Type Media Center’s Note
This article by our fellow Elie Mystal reflects Type Media Center’s dedication to nurturing independent journalism that not only informs but strives for societal change.