Reflecting on the Murder of George Floyd Three Years Later

Three years ago, the world watched in horror as officers from the Minneapolis Police Department murdered George Floyd on camera. In the time since, we have watched countless similar tragedies play out across the U.S. Too many names continue to be added to the list of those unjustly taken from their families and loved ones.

Let us not remember George Floyd as we saw him in his final moments but as he was — a valued member of his community, a son and a father. Let us remember him and honor his life through our actions every day, for as his daughter Gianna once said, “Daddy changed the world.” And so he did.

Three years ago, citizens, policymakers and advocates rose around the country to say enough is enough, with many making statements of support and commitments to action and change. Those commitments totaled over $150 billion. Yet, today, most of our communities have not felt or seen the promised change, revealing the long road ahead and the work that still must be done.

And, indeed, the work must be done. Statements and commitments neither move the needle far enough nor fast enough. We need a collective response against the physical, emotional and economic violence and exclusion that continues to be perpetuated against Black lives. Three years later, Black Americans still face severe disparities across nearly every sector of life. On average, Black-owned businesses only generate one-sixth the revenue of white-owned businesses. 70% of Black Americans live in banking deserts. On average, Black college graduates owe $25,000 more in student loan debt than white graduates. And, 82% of HBCUs, which produce 75% of Black PhDs, 46% of Black business executives, 50% of Black engineers and 85% of Black doctors, are in broadband deserts.

In times like these, the work of Southern Communities Initiative to drive real change and allow us all to live in harmony becomes ever more critical.

As we recommit ourselves to the tasks ahead, we dedicate this work to the generations of Black Americans whose indomitable spirits overcame the injustices of the past to forge our nation in a new image and likeness.

We dedicate this work to George Floyd and every other member of our beautiful family who has been taken too soon.

And, we dedicate this work to our children and the generations to come. Through our joint efforts, determination and steadfastness in our mission, we will create a better country in which they can thrive.

Thanks to our corporate partnerships and relationships with local community leaders and nonprofits, we have been able to drive financial and in-kind support to help narrow some of the most prominent racial equity gaps in the United States, including the digital divide, disparities across education and workforce development programs, access to financial institutions and capital and the growth of minority business enterprises.

To date, efforts with our partners have allowed us to help modernize elements of the capillary banking system, which has proven critical to Black entrepreneurs. We have connected thousands of individuals and their families to affordable and reliable broadband connections. We are training workers so that they can qualify for good-paying jobs in Birmingham, AL. And, we dispersed income-contingent loan alternatives to HBCU students to financially liberate them. These are just a few of the ways that SCI is driving social equity and economic opportunity for Black communities in the U.S.

We are only just getting started, and together, we will help to honor the commitments made to Black communities across the U.S. and prove that George Floyd really did “change the world.” Today, we call on everyone with the resources and ability to drive meaningful change — from CEOs and their corporations to philanthropists and nonprofits — to join Southern Communities Initiative in our mission to deliver systemic change. Learn how you can help here.