Politicians Draped in Kente Cloth Take a Knee for George Floyd

ff2dfc92-6442-4ab3-aee5-ef54abf01fd2-AP_America_Protests_Congress — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of Calif., center, and other members of Congress, kneel and observe a moment of silence at the Capitol's Emancipation Hall, Monday, June 8, 2020, on Capitol Hill in Washington, reading the names of George Floyd and others killed during police interactions. Democrats proposed a sweeping overhaul of police oversight and procedures Monday, an ambitious legislative response to the mass protests denouncing the deaths of black Americans at the hands of law enforcement. (Photo: Manuel Balce Ceneta, AP)

#NNPA BLACKPRESS – ROLLINGOUT.COM — Before unveiling their proposed police reform bill, the Justice in Policing Act, the politicians, each wearing a kente cloth stole, took a knee, a la Colin Kaepernick in Emancipation Hall, named in honor of the contributions of enslaved laborers who helped construct the Capitol building.

By A.R. Shaw, RollingOut.com

Democratic leaders in the U.S. House and Senate came together to pay homage to George Floyd.

On Monday, June 8, 2020, lawmakers including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, Sen. Kamala Harris, and others were in attendance inside the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., according to The Washington Post.

Before unveiling their proposed police reform bill, the “Justice in Policing Act,” the politicians, each wearing a kente cloth stole, took a knee, a la Colin Kaepernick in Emancipation Hall, named in honor of the contributions of enslaved laborers who helped construct the Capitol building.

“We are here to honor George Floyd,” Pelosi told reporters. “You see how long it was to have that knee on his neck.”

For eight minutes and 46 seconds, the politicians knelt in silence as a reminder of how long former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin held his knee on Floyd’s neck.

The post Politicians draped in kente cloth take a knee for George Floyd appeared first on Rolling Out.

The “Justice in Policing Act,” which is supported by 200 Democrats, seeks to reform police departments across the nation and hold them accountable. If passed, police departments would have to send data regarding when they use force to the federal government. Moreover, there would be an independent process to investigate police misconduct.

However, while the “Justice in Policing Act” is a step forward, some social media users viewed the use of kente cloth and kneeling as a tone-deaf effort to pay homage.

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