Since the killing of George Floyd at the hands of a police officer May 25, Black Lives Matter demonstrators across the US have called for the reform – or defunding – of police departments across the country.
The “George Floyd Justice in Policing Act” aims to address many of the issues regarding systemic racism and brutality in these police departments.
“Among other things,” states the NAACP, “the legislation holds all law enforcement officials accountable for their actions, ends ‘qualified immunity’ for police officers, ends racial and religious profiling, empowers our communities, establishes uniform policies for the use of force, mandates data collection on police encounters, bans chokeholds and ‘no knock’ warrants.”
The legislation also “limits military equipment on American streets, requires body-worn cameras, and classifies lynching as a hate crime, therefore making it open to Federal resources for investigations and prosecutions.”
Among those supporting the Justice in Policing Act are members of the music and entertainment industries, who have signed an open letter to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy, urging them to vote in its favour next week.
Billie Eilish, Rihanna, Megan Thee Stallion, and Kehlani are among the signatories, as well as Grimes, Ariana Grande, Justin and Hailey Bieber, and Meek Mill, who has long been outspoken about justice reform.
The full list of signatories – and the letter itself – can be found here.
Many of these artists also pledged their support to an open letter calling for the repeal of statute 50-A in New York, a law that concealed police officers’ disciplinary and personnel records from the public. The repeal of 50-A was ultimately successful, signed into law by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo June 12.