Politicians draped in kente cloth take a knee for George Floyd

Politicians draped in kente cloth take a knee for George Floyd
(Photo source: Screenshot via ABC News)

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 “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.

View reactions on social media below:

https://twitter.com/divanificent/status/1270013292275273731?s=20

https://twitter.com/_CharlesPreston/status/1270026894247956481?s=20

https://twitter.com/goldietaylor/status/1270012263408324614?s=20

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