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Jun 10, 2020 18 tweets 8 min read Read on X
The @HouseJudiciary Oversight Hearing on Policing Practices and Law Enforcement Accountability has begun. Watch it live: bit.ly/3cOTIwK Image
"I couldn't take care of George that day he was killed, but maybe by speaking with you today, I can make sure his death will not be in vain...make sure that he's...more than another name on a list that won't stop growing."--Philonise Floyd, Brother of George Floyd
"The man who took his life, who suffocated him for eight minutes and 46 seconds--he still called him "Sir" as he begged for his life. I can't tell you the kind of pain you feel when you watch something like that."--Philonise Floyd
"[George] didn't deserve to die over $20. I'm asking you, is that what a Black man's worth?...Enough is enough. The people marching in the streets are telling you enough is enough."

-Philonise Floyd, George Floyd’s younger brother
#JusticeInPolicingAct
"Despite the unrest in northern cities-in over 100 cities-during that decade, there was no legislation to address the issue of police brutality in African American communities. As a result, very little has changed since that period as it relates to this issue." --@Sifill_LDF
"...too many officers know that they can commit the most heinous acts against African Americans without fear of accountability."
"That snapshot of...Derek Chauvin kneeling on the neck of George Floyd...should shame...everyone who has participated in the perpetuation of a system that calls itself the 'justice system,' but routinely allows officers of the state to take innocent life with impunity."
"The Justice in Policing Act seeks to address qualified immunity by amending the civil rights statute used most in police excessive use of force cases...and we welcome this amendment...and we will continue to work towards the elimination of qualified immunity."
"It is a moment in which we have a chance to transform our approach to public safety...and to speak our values through federal and state budgets that prioritize our commitment to anti-discrimination, public health, and to true public safety for all."
In case you missed it, watch or read @Sifill_LDF's full testimony on the #JusticeInPolicingAct here.

naacpldf.org/news/sherrilyn…
"I've spoken to many police officers about the culture of impunity around these killings and around these acts of brutality, and they know...that accountability is critical to influencing behavior. Unfortunately, our legal system has failed in providing that accountability."
"There needs to be an entire overhaul of the funding that goes from the federal government through the [DOJ] to local police departments to ensure that they comply with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964."
"Justice has to be served. Those officers...have to be convicted. Anybody with heart, they know that's wrong. You don't do that to a human being, you don't even do that to an animal. His life mattered. Black lives matter." --Philonise Floyd, George Floyd's younger brother
"It takes a village to allow for the persistent systematic murder of Black Americans by our government, and this has got to stop." --@RepTedLieu
"If we want to change culture, if we want to change relationships, then you have to change the rules that govern that system."
"Black lives matter, yet month after month, year after year, decade after decade, the list of tragedy continues to grow."--@RepJeffries
"There is nothing in this bill that should be objectionable to anyone who cares about public safety truly, who cares about anti-discrimination and pledges themselves to it, who cares about the rule of law, and who cares about this country." #JusticeInPolicingAct
"What you are seeing...is a colossal lack of confidence in the justice system...That confidence only comes back if the justice system can be said to be fair, can be said to be legitimate, and can be said to produce just results...at this point, we do not have those three."

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More from @NAACP_LDF

May 17, 2022
May 17, 1954, the day the decision in Brown vs. Board of Education was issued, marks a defining moment in the history of the United States. The Supreme Court declared the doctrine of “separate but equal” unconstitutional.

naacpldf.org/brown-vs-board/
To litigate Brown vs. Board of Education, Thurgood Marshall recruited the nation’s best attorneys. LDF lawyers were assisted by a brain trust of legal scholars, historians, and social science researchers. More about the legal minds behind the case: naacpldf.org/brown-vs-board…
The legal victory in Brown v. Board of Education did not transform the country overnight, and much work remains. However, striking down segregation in U.S. public schools provided a major catalyst for the civil rights movement. Its impact has been felt by every American.
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Feb 21, 2022
In 1961, John Lewis joined the Freedom Riders, a group traveling by bus to ensure that the Supreme Court decision banning discrimination in transportation services was upheld. They were repeatedly physically attacked and imprisoned, but they remained steadfast in their objective.
LDF directly represented Mr. Lewis and other activists in numerous civil rights matters. LDF founder Thurgood Marshall was on the Lewis v. Greyhound legal team, which involved a violent attack on the Freedom Riders at the Montgomery, AL, bus terminal.
naacpldf.org/naacp-publicat…
In 1963, Mr. Lewis became the national chair of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. He was one of the organizers of the 1963 March on Washington and, at the age of 23, was the youngest individual to make remarks at the event.

Watch his speech: naacpldf.org/march-on-washi…
Read 5 tweets
Jan 17, 2022
In 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. led the March on Washington to call for an end to segregation, economic justice, and access to the ballot. Today, the fight for voting rights is just as urgent. naacpldf.org/march-on-washi…
As buses pulled into D.C. and hundreds arrived via trains onto the National Mall for the March on Washington, the gravity of the moment was clear. 250,000 people marched — the unprecedented turnout was a testament to the power of grassroots organizing. naacpldf.org/march-on-washi…
When MLK gave his iconic “I Have a Dream” speech, the passage of the Voting Rights Act was still two years away. Echoing his earlier calls to give us the ballot, he said “We cannot be satisfied” until we have the right to vote and a voice in our democracy.
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Nov 17, 2021
TONIGHT at 9:00PM EST: @Sifill_LDF joins @Maddow live to discuss her decision to step down as LDF President and Director-Counsel.
"I’ve worked very hard to make LDF strong and to help Americans see that civil rights institutions and civil rights work is critical—not just for the citizenship and dignity of Black people, but for the health of American democracy." @Sifill_LDF
“2024 is coming very quickly and I want to make sure the next leader [of LDF] is fully in place and prepared for that. The next chapter for me…will always involve this work that I have committed my life to.” -@Sifill_LDF
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Oct 20, 2021
Starting now! @Sifill_LDF joins @allinwithchris on @MSNBC to discuss the Freedom to Vote Act. The bill aimed at strengthening voting rights and overhauling the nation's election systems failed to advance in the Senate today.
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"When we see a vote like this today—not a vote against a bill, but a vote against talking about a bill—in what is supposed to be the greatest deliberative body in the world, the United States Senate, then we know our democracy has lost its way." -@Sifill_LDF
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May 26, 2021
.@SIfill_LDF joins @maddow to discuss the anniversary of #GeorgeFloyd's death and today's confirmation of Kristen Clarke. Tune in tonight at 9:35 ET on @MSNBC
We are not out of the woods yet, but there have been important shifts that have happened.

“One of the most important is in the narrative of the nature of policing. We are now not just talking about individuals, we are talking about reimagining public safety.” —@Sifill_LDF
There has been a policy shift. There are multiple states that have passed laws requiring more transparency and police accountability.

“We don’t want to forget these changes are happening—because we saw the largest mass protest ever in the United States last summer.”@Sifill_LDF
Read 4 tweets

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