Common Council

George Floyd Statement

Grief. Outrage. Anger. Exhaustion.

Those are some of the emotions people have described as we – in Madison and across the Country – confront the issues raised by the tragic and unnecessary death of George Floyd.

We grieve for his family. We must hear the truth his death tells us: racism is lethal. We must dedicate ourselves, in whatever roles we find ourselves, to healing wounds and building a more just society.

There is systemic injustice across every sector: health care outcomes for people of color, educational outcomes for children of color, incarceration and arrest rates for people of color in the criminal justice system. In Wisconsin, 27% of the deaths from COVID-19 have been African Americans, when our state's population is 6% African American. According to a study by a Rutgers University sociologist, black men and boys are 2.5 times more likely than white men and boys to die in an encounter with police.

My responsibility as an elected official is to listen, to consider data and facts, to work with colleagues, to collaborate with the community, and to act in the best interest of us all. I marched with the peaceful protestors on Saturday afternoon. It was an honor to be a part of the clean-up efforts on Sunday. I support the State Legislature's efforts to ensure the independence of investigations into officer-involved civilian deaths and to require better defined and more public policies around the use of force. The City Council will be hearing from the Mayor regarding the City's response to the unrest. We need to invest in effective solutions to end disparities wherever we find them including health care, education, economic opportunity, the criminal justice system.

We have much more to do. Thank you to the many of you who have written to me to share your concerns, your hopes, and your ideas in these difficult days. The work to make America a "more perfect union" is ongoing and won't be finished in my lifetime. But that is no excuse for inaction. We must each do our own unique part to move our City and our Country toward justice, fairness, and equality. You have my deep and tireless commitment to do my part, each and every day.