Jimmy Carter pained by ‘tragic racial injustices’ in wake of George Floyd death, protests
Former President Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, issued a statement Wednesday saying they are “pained by the tragic racial injustices and consequent backlash across our nation” in the wake of protests held following the death of George Floyd.
While the statement doesn’t mention Floyd by name, the Carters said their hearts are with the families of victims and others “who feel hopeless in the face of pervasive racial discrimination and outright cruelty.”
“In my 1971 inaugural address as Georgia’s governor, I said: ‘The time for racial discrimination is over.’ With great sorrow and disappointment, I repeat those words today, nearly five decades later,” Jimmy Carter said in a portion of the statement. “Dehumanizing people debases us all; humanity is beautifully and almost infinitely diverse. The bonds of our common humanity must overcome the divisiveness of our fears and prejudices.”
Floyd was killed May 25 in Minneapolis. Derek Chauvin, a fired Minnesota police officer, is seen in a video kneeling on the back of Floyd’s neck as Floyd said he couldn’t breathe. He has been charged with second-degree murder in addition to the original charges of third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter with culpable negligence, the Star Tribune in Minneapolis reports.
Three other officers at the scene, who have since been fired, were charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder while committing a felony, and with aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter with culpable negligence, according to the Star Tribune.
Protests have been held across Georgia this week, including events in Macon and Columbus. In Atlanta, people have held demonstrations for nearly a week, and a citywide curfew remains in effect until at least Sunday. From May 29 to June 1, 425 protesters were arrested by Atlanta police. Nearly 85% of those arrested live in the state, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports, citing arrest records.
Carter was the last of the country’s former presidents to make a statement following Floyd’s death, ABC News reports.
“We need a government as good as its people, and we are better than this,” the statement reads.
A copy of the full statement can be read at the Carter Center’s website.
This story was originally published June 4, 2020 at 6:09 PM.