AFT President Weingarten Reflects on George Floyd's Legacy and Justice

George Floyd's Legacy: AFT Reflects on Five Years of Struggle for Justice

WASHINGTON—As the fifth anniversary of George Floyd's death approaches, the President of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), Randi Weingarten, has released a statement highlighting the ongoing struggle for justice since Floyd's murder by police in Minneapolis on May 25, 2020.

Weingarten remarked, “The five years since George Floyd’s tragic murder have been a reminder that achieving true justice is never a straight line.”

In 2020, streets across the nation were filled with people demanding justice, recognizing the actions of officer Derek Chauvin as not only a crime but also a reflection of systemic issues in a country where laws are meant to protect everyone. Since then, there has been concern over efforts to reverse progress made, particularly with the Justice Department's reduced focus on police oversight in areas affected by police violence.

The AFT emphasizes that educational justice is deeply connected to racial justice. According to Weingarten, members have been actively working nationwide to safeguard vulnerable students and have successfully integrated these protections into contracts.

Weingarten stated, “The march forward doesn’t stop. Not after Tulsa. Not after the Edmund Pettus Bridge. And it won’t stop now. The AFT stands with our members in Minneapolis as they continue the fight for educational justice. Maintaining a diverse democracy that recognizes the humanity of all its citizens is hard work. It can take years to move the needle a few more ticks toward justice, but that is never an excuse to stop.”

The American Federation of Teachers represents 1.8 million members, including pre-K through 12th-grade teachers, paraprofessionals, higher education faculty, government employees, healthcare workers, and early childhood educators.