As a journalist who has conducted hundreds of interviews and read tons of articles about George Floyd, leading up to an award-winning book about his life and legacy, I can offer some insight on the arguments to pardon Derek Chauvin, which are based on misinformation. George Floyd didn't die of an overdose. That theory is based on preliminary report by a medical examiner, who later concluded his death was a homicide. Amount of fentanyl wasn't deadly, and Floyd did not show sign of overdose (coma).

I think about how nine years passed between Rosa Parks refusing to give up her seat and the passage of the Civil Rights Act in 1964, and become more astonished by those activists’ persistence. Nine years. So many people who were animated to help end racial injustice after Floyd’s death told me how tired they already felt after four.

As we continued to talk to people about the book, I began having conversations with an 82-year-old man named Charles Person.

As a journalist who has conducted hundreds of interviews and read tons of articles about George Floyd, leading up to an award-winning book about his life and legacy, I've been bothered by the misinformation about him. Here are the answers to some myths about #GeorgeFloyd: He didn't die of an overdose. That theory is based on preliminary report by a medical examiner, who later concluded his death was a homicide. Amount of fentanyl wasn't deadly, and Floyd did not show sign of overdose (coma). He died because of a lack of oxygen due to extreme force

The amazing thing about the findings in this DOJ report is that Minneapolis' Police Department fashioned itself as one of the most progressive, educated and thoughtful departments in the country. And still. Over the course of our reporting in "His Name is George Floyd," we talked to dozens of rank-and-file officers and leaders, all the way up to former police chiefs. I was confused when leaders told me they felt it was next-to-difficult to stem a culture of excessive force

The more I hear about President Trump's covid treatment, the more I think about the late James Brooks, an 80-year-old black man who lived outside Detroit. He left Mississippi for Detroit and built a middle-class life for his family as a company man at Chrysler. When James Freeman got sick this spring, there was so much confusion about what to do. This energetic man felt unusually tired and chest pain. His kids suspected covid, but they did not take him to the nearest hospital b/c it had a bad reputation for treating black patients.

I've been fascinated by the Jamaal Bowman and race. I grew up in @RepEliotEngel 's district. He came to my small, Jamaican American church frequently that everyone there felt like they had a personal connection to him Time (and time in Washington) changes things. A quick story: I approached Engel after church one day to tell him more should be done to prevent drug use near my local corner store. I was either 9 or 11. His response:, "I think what you want to do is for me to come and speak to your school."

It's come to my attention that some people have interpreted my tweet about the word "reckoning" as a shady subtweet @WesleyLowery 's op-ed today. 1) It wasn't. 2) That would be cruel & unfair to Brother Wes, whom I love 3) Simply put, Wes' column is right: nytimes.com/2020/06/23/opi… What's Wes right about? There needs to be a radical re-imagining of how daily cops reporting is done in journalism. It's long overdue, and it's been something reporters - particularly black reporters - have complained about for years. I know this because I am one of them. (1/

This story, about the impact of an unusual form of reparations had for the descendants of Rosewood, Fla. finally ran in print today and the presentation was gorgeous! Some notes about reporting this piece: washingtonpost.com/graphics/2020/… Although many scholars have opined on whether or not reparations should happen, there has been little done on the impact they might have one recipients over time. I set out to figure out a way to see what I could find: washingtonpost.com/graphics/2020/…

I'm taking a reporting/writing break to call this final group. I already have many thoughts on other parts of the competition. #uschamps20 Am I the only one who can do without the character step sequences in the free dance? I don't understand why they are there. It doesn't feel like skating. #uschamps20

The Trump administration is planning on stipulating work requirements for food stamps. The states give us some examples of what happens when work requirements are stiffened, and raised. Last year, I reported some stories on what happens. They're relevant reading again: In Wisconsin, the SNAP requirements led to even more reforms to shrink the social net. 25k people on food stamps found work. But 86k were cut, and the state does not know what happened to them:
washingtonpost.com/politics/you-e…

I just came home after a long Sunday and noticed that there is some speculation over Joe Biden and Corn Pop. I’ve been to Wilmington and talked to folks who knew Joe at the pool and know some things, beyond the speculation. But first, please read story: washingtonpost.com/politics/at-a-… Yes, Corn Pop was a real. Lots of people I spoke with knew him and talked about him, even if they had never met Joe Biden.

I didn’t read my first Toni Morrison novel until I was in 22. That, in itself, was a failure of my schooling and my imagination. But I finally got into a popular class on her on works my senior year at NU.
The professor asked everyone to say why they took the class. Everyone else had a story about reading her novels changing their lives. I mentioned that I felt guilty that I hadn’t read anything of hers. The entire class laughed at me. The prof then said: “We will relieve you of your guilt!”

Today I had a lesson in identity in a paperless world. I lost my wallet near Capitol Hill yesterday - which has my ID and all my cards (let me know if you find it). This sucks but it also made clear for me the crazy disconnect between and paperless worlds. Complicating things: I was supposed to go to replace my passport next week; it expired Monday. So have I had a day.

Fifty-seven years ago, Joe Biden was their lifeguard. Now they were trying to serve his political career from drowning. @washingtonpost #longreads: washingtonpost.com/politics/at-a-… After the Biden-Harris exchange, his friends realized stories about working at an all-black pool might not compel today's voters. He needed to better understand systemic racism. "Please tell Joe to reads The Souls of Black Folk," one wrote his campaign: washingtonpost.com/politics/at-a-…

I knew when this collab between @NickMiroff , @partlowj and young whippersnapper @Fahrenthold ran on Saturday, not Sunday, we were going to have a hit parade of great stories over the weekend: washingtonpost.com/politics/my-wh… Then on Sunday, we were treated to this @GregJaffe jammy-jam about a differnt kind of country music singer: washingtonpost.com/politics/my-wh…

Hello, twitterverse! I'm actively rejoining you after getting married, celebrating holidays and a great honeymoon. I opened my feed late last night and was surprised to have gained 100+ followers w/o a single tweet, after being placed on a list of black political reporters It turns out this uptick traces to yet another discussion about the diversity after CBS news' announcement of its digital campaign team, none of whom was black. I don't like jumping into twitter debates*, but I can add this much:

This is the Real America that voted for Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Here are some of the hopes and dreams I found in one of the most diverse places on the planet: washingtonpost.com/politics/a-cau… A few things about this story. I’m a native New Yorker (though as a Bronxite, never went to Jackson Heights) but have never reported on a story in my home city, where the most common response to my introducing myself to strangers was, “I DON’T HAVE ANY MONEY”

When I spoke to Tony Maxwell for this story, he asked me: Why did Anderw Gillum concede so soon? The latest turn of events just got more interesting. The story might not yet be over.
washingtonpost.com/politics/elect… That said, a few things about this story. I was stunned how many black residents that I spoke to in Duval County were disenfranchised because they had a felony. Their disinterest in politics stemmed for that. Rights restoration might make a difference: washingtonpost.com/politics/elect…

There are a lot of stories out there about voting. This story helps to illustrate the impact of your vote: washingtonpost.com/politics/theyv… A lot of folks in this country are struggling to make ends meet. And there are two competing ideas in this country about how to help them. Should the government be doing more to help the poor directly, or should they be doing less?

It started with work requirements. Now, in WI, you won't be able to get food stamps if you own a car valued at more than $20,000. Check it: washingtonpost.com/politics/you-e… I've been tweeting about my latest piece today, which focuses on a family on hard times trying to get back on welfare at a time when Wisconsin is trying to shrink the social safety net. The state's program has long been a model for the federal government: washingtonpost.com/politics/you-e…

People often ask me what it is like to be a black reporter covering Trump’s America. I honestly don’t fully know because I’ve never been white, so I have little to compare it with. But I’ve found, for me, it is more an advantage than a disadvantage #GreatMomentsInReporting

https://twitter.com/wplyndarobinson/status/974995511966040064

In such a polarizing time, a lot of people want to explain why their views about America should not be discounted or rejected simply because they are racist, even if most folks who live in Washington would reject them as such. #GreatMomentsInReporting