High Peak Liberal DemocratsToday marks one year since George Floyd, an unarmed Black man, was brutally murdered by a police officer on the streets of Minneapolis.
George's murder - and the wave of protests it sparked - forced us all to confront the racial injustice that Black people face every day.
George's murder - and the wave of protests it sparked - forced us all to confront the racial injustice that Black people face every day.
The past twelve months have brought watershed moments.
The Black Lives Matter movement rose to prominence around the world.
It inspired many of us to have difficult but important conversations about race - myself included.
And in April, Derek Chauvin was found guilty of George's murder.
Although Chauvin's guilty verdict is a step in the right direction, we are still a long way from achieving racial justice.
As Minnesota's Attorney General Keith Ellison said, we should not call this "verdict justice… because justice implies true restoration. But it is accountability, which is the first step towards justice."
It's clear there is still so much to do - and that this is not a uniquely American problem.
We will keep working to combat racism - whether conscious or unconscious, individual or institutional - wherever we find it.
Here in the UK, far too many people's lives are blighted by discrimination, inequality and injustice.
From the appalling Windrush Scandal and the disproportionate impact of the Covid pandemic to the over-representation of Black and mixed-race people in prison, there is still so much more we all must do to address institutional racism.
I'm proud that Liberal Democrats exist to fight for justice, liberty and equality.
And at our Autumn Conference last September, we passed a motion entitled 'Racial Justice Cannot Wait' that affirmed that Black Lives Matter and our commitment to achieving racial justice.
We are continuing our campaign to abolish the Conservatives' cruel and discriminatory Hostile Environment, end the disproportionate use of Stop and Search, and establish a comprehensive Covid-19 Race Equality Strategy.
And we will keep working to combat racism - whether conscious or unconscious, individual or institutional - wherever we find it.
We mustn't let George Floyd's memory fade.
We must hold onto the outrage we felt at his murder, and continue to channel it into action for positive change.
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