Michael Jordan has joined the long list of celebrities who have expressed their grief and anger following the killing of George Floyd.
“I am deeply saddened, truly pained and plain angry,” Jordan said in a statement Sunday (May 31). “I see and feel everyone’s pain, outrage and frustration. I stand with those who are calling out the ingrained racism and violence toward people of color in our country. We have had enough.”
Floyd died last week in Minneapolis at the hands of four police officers. His senseless death was caught on video by witnesses. Former officer Derek Chauvin kept his knee on Floyd’s neck for almost nine minutes. Floyd screamed out multiple times that he couldn’t breathe, but his calls went unanswered. He lost consciousness and was transported to a local hospital where he later died.
“I don’t have the answers, but our collective voices show strength and the inability to be divided by others,” Jordan continued. “We must listen to each other, show compassion and empathy and never turn our backs on senseless brutality. We need to continue peaceful expressions against injustice and demand accountability.”
“Our unified voice needs to put pressure on our leaders to change our laws, or else we need to use our vote to create systemic change,” he said. “Every one of us needs to be part of the solution, and we must work together to ensure justice for all. My heart goes out to the family of George Floyd and to the countless others whose lives have been brutally and senselessly taken through acts of racism and injustice.”
Following days of national outrage, the four officers have been fired. Chauvin has been arrested and charged with third degree murder and manslaughter. Protests have erupted across the country as people demand that all officers be charged for Floyd’s death.