When Sonya Massey, a 36-year-old Black mother of two called the police fearing a home intruder, the responding police officer shot her in the head, murdering her. This sickening incident occurred in Springfield, Illinois, but highlights the deep systemic racism all too familiar to Black people across America.
Sonya Massey did not have to die. She called for help and was murdered by a police officer. Enough is enough – Congress must finally pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, which would address the racial profiling and use of force that so often results in deadly police encounters.
Sign this petition to demand Congress pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act and hold law enforcement to higher standards of accountability and humanity!
Springfield community activists note that despite promises to invest in the Black community, city officials have instead militarized their police department. This disturbing trend of ramping up police facilities has been happening since the mass racial justice protests of 2020. It must stop.
In a tragic irony, Massey was a descendant of a historical figure who survived lynching during the 1908 race riots – riots that lead to the creation of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Massey's family noted the irony of having to reach out to the NAACP for help after her killing.
If passed, the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act would aim to address the systemic issues that led to Massey's death by implementing crucial reforms. These reforms would include ending racial and religious profiling, banning chokeholds and no-knock warrants, requiring body cameras, and establishing a National Police Misconduct Registry to prevent problematic officers who are fired or leave the agency from moving to another jurisdiction without any accountability. While these reforms won't solve American police brutality and racism overnight, it would start to combat the growing police militarization across the U.S. that we should all fear.
Sonya Massey's life mattered. Her children and community deserve justice, and her death should be a catalyst for real change.
Signing this petition to stand with Sonya's family and raise our voices to ensure that the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act becomes law.
