SEIU California FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 25, 2021

Contact: Mike Roth, 916.813.1554 Maria Elena Jauregui, Spanish-language, 818.355.5291

Sacramento, CA—Today, SEIU members in California marked one year since George Floyd’s murder by Minneapolis police officers.  Statement from Joseph Bryant, President of SEIU Local 1021 and an executive board member of SEIU California:

“Today we remember George Floyd, a man whose name has become a rallying cry for justice. As we recommit to carrying forward the torch of equity and justice in his name, we are mindful that George was first and foremost a son, a father, and a grandfather.  No law, no monument will ever fill the hole left in the lives and hearts of those who loved him.

“Black Americans witnessed George Floyd’s murder with the gut-wrenching knowledge that the lives of our fathers, brothers, sons, or daughters are not valued equally by the police or by any institution in our society. Generations of deliberate policy and budget decisions—rooted in racism—achieved what they were intended to do: put roadblocks in our children's paths, drain resources from our communities, and devalue our work.

“As SEIU members, we are humbled by the responsibility to confront these injustices and replace them with policies of equity and inclusion.  SEIU members from Black and Brown communities impacted by racist policing feel today’s significance deeply, with hearts full of sadness and also determination.  All of us come together today to lift one another up and commit to the deep transformation needed to achieve justice and fairness in our communities.”

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