George Floyd’s brother, Alonzo, made headlines earlier this year when he went to the United Nations and asked them to investigate the deaths of black people by US police officers. He argued that these killings are part of a larger pattern of discrimination against African Americans and that the UN has a responsibility to take action.
Since then, Alonzo has been speaking out about the issue and meeting with government officials. In this interview, he discusses his motivations for speaking out and his hopes for the future.
If you’re interested in learning more about Alonzo’s story or in taking action to support him, read on!
Background of the Article
George Floyd’s brother, Eddie Floyd, has asked the United Nations to investigate the deaths of black people by US police officers. He made the request in a letter addressed to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on September 27.
In his letter, Floyd cites statistics compiled by The Guardian that show black people are killed by American law enforcement at a rate five times higher than their share of the population.
Floyd also implores Guterres to take into account the fact that these shootings disproportionately affect black men and boys.
The Guardian’s database tracks killings by law enforcement officers in the US from 2006 to 2016. According to their data, black people were killed by American law enforcement at a rate of 9.8 per 100,000 population during that time period. This corresponds to a rate of killing black people that is five times higher than their share of the population. In comparison, white people were killed by American law enforcement at a rate of 2.2 per 100,000 population during that time period. This corresponds to a rate of killing white people that is three times higher than their share of the population.
In his letter,
The Request
In the aftermath of yet another instance of fatal police violence, George Floyd’s brother has written a letter to the United Nations asking them to investigate the deaths of black people by US police officers. The letter cites data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics that show African Americans are disproportionately targeted and killed by law enforcement officials in the US. It is an important call to action, and one that we hope will lead to real change.
What George Floyd’s Brother Wants the United Nations to Do
George Floyd’s brother, Ron, has asked the United Nations to investigate the deaths of black people by US police officers. In a letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Ron writes that “the systematic and recurrent use of excessive force against members of minority groups in the US is resulting in an alarming increase in fatalities and injuries.” The letter was obtained by The Guardian.
Ron Floyd says that he reached out to Guterres because he believes the UN is “the only forum with the authority and legitimacy to address this issue.” He adds that “the UN has a responsibility not only to protect human rights, but also to uphold international law.” In total, there have been over 800 deaths linked to police brutality in the US since 2014.
Criticism of the Request
George Floyd’s brother has asked the United Nations to investigate the deaths of black people by US police officers. The request comes in the wake of numerous high-profile shootings of unarmed black people by law enforcement, including the deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Garner.
The UN Human Rights Council has said that it is willing to look into the issue, but critics say that Floyd is politicizing a tragedy. They argue that investigations into police shootings are already ongoing and that the UN should not get involved. Floyd’s brother responded to those criticisms in a statement: “If we’re going to keep talking about these incidents, it’s important that we have an open and honest conversation about them. We can’t do that if we’re afraid to talk about race.”
Conclusion
In a powerful open letter, George Floyd’s brother asks the United Nations to investigate the deaths of black people by US police officers. Floyd writes that “the truth must be known” and that US authorities need to answer for their role in what he calls “a genocide.”