It’s about police brutality — and a whole lot more.
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The death of George Floyd has fast become a turning point in advancing racial justice far beyond law enforcement. Nearly every day, another major institution across the country or here at home lends its voice and resources to the cause. We will have to wait to see whether his death yields the new beginning that never came after other African-Americans died in police custody. But the brutality of the tragedy, and the legacy of discrimination it reflects, has shaken the country and brought high expectations that match the seriousness of the moment.
Floyd’s death has sparked demonstrations nationwide since a white Minneapolis police officer held his knee to Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes on May 25. And the sometimes heavy-handed police responses to the protests in Tampa Bay and beyond have re-energized calls for police reforms, from tighter controls on the use of force and the deployment of military-style equipment to tougher sanctions for officers who commit misconduct.
These calls have produced fruit already, as departments across the country agree to ban chokeholds (already barred in St.
