George Floyd’s gruesome killing on May 25 has been the focus of international protests. Communities across the country, including in Madison, are struggling to face the issues raised by his death, including racial injustice and police reform.
George Floyd was killed as he lay face down on a Minneapolis street, and we must examine the conditions that led to that.
George Floyd was killed while in handcuffs, putting up no resistance, and
we must work together to change that.
George Floyd was killed by a white police officer, in the presence of 3 other
police officers, and we must work together to change that.
On Tuesday, June 9, George Floyd was laid to rest at a private ceremony in Houston, his hometown.
At 2pm Central Time, WORT joined with over 100 community radio stations to broadcast “A Change Is Gonna Come,” written by Sam Cooke after he was turned away from a whites-only motel in 1963.
The Rev. Martin Luther King once said, “change does not roll in on the
wheels of inevitability, it comes through continuous struggle.”
We must believe that change is possible and we must strive to achieve it. Black lives matter, and we must actively work toward a society where individual and structural racism cannot exist, including in our own community.
Our thanks to Marcus Slaton, longtime co-host of the Thursday 6pm evening news, for sharing his voice with us in Tuesday’s broadcast.