On Tuesday, the New York Giants released a statement in response to last week’s wrongful death of George Floyd.
On Memorial Day (May 25), America witnessed yet another wrongful death as a result of police brutality and systematic racism. George Floyd, an African-American man, was killed in Minneapolis while in police custody. Derek Chauvin, a white officer who was in the process of arresting Floyd after he was accused of using a counterfeit $20 bill, knelt down on his neck for nearly nine minutes. Floyd passed away due to “asphyxiation from sustained pressure,” according to the independent autopsy.
Many protests have thus taken place around the world over the last week. A great number of sports teams have additionally released statements in response to the wrongful death, including the New York Giants, who did so on Tuesday.
Statement from the New York Giants: pic.twitter.com/OomJPGDY7I
— New York Giants (@Giants) June 2, 2020
“George Floyd’s senseless death is the type of tragedy we have seen too often for far too long,” the statement read. “Over the past week, our players and coaches have talked about the hurt, the pain, the frustration and the anger. Each of us is feeling some or all of that. We continue to talk about what we can do to help unite and heal and, more importantly, create real opportunity and meaningful change. We have a responsibility as citizens to work in a constructive way. What we do to make a difference is what is most important. We have the ability to advocate for social justice and sustained change.
“We know that to make lasting change, it needs to start at the community level. That is why we are committed to continuing to strengthen the alliances we have with groups like the Vera Institute of Justice, the Newark Bronze Shields, The Bronx Defenders, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, RISE and our local law enforcement agencies to understand and support each group’s good work. We will continue to expand our relationships where we can have a meaningful, positive impact and make a difference.”
