“The murder of George Floyd pains me deeply. It’s a pain long felt by people who look like me, a pain ingrained in the bones of Black Americans.
 
“My heart breaks for the Floyd family and the Minneapolis community, but this is bigger than one city. This is a burden we all bear.
 
“Yes, we must interrogate and condemn the America that treats Black lives as expendable, whether at the hands of the police or the coronavirus. But it’s not enough to believe this is all about changing hearts and minds.
 
“America was built on the backs of slaves, and our city is still plagued by the inequities that rose from this shameful foundation. Healing this country will require systems-level change to abolish the injustices that continue to oppress and pin down Black Americans until they can’t breathe.
 
“It is the responsibility of us all – no matter our race or station – to question and transform institutions predicated on racism, and to do so with love in our hearts and the names of our lost brothers and sisters on our lips.”
 
Levar M. Stoney, Mayor, City of Richmond

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