As we near the third anniversary of the murder of George Floyd, members of the People of Color and Indigenous Caucus are crediting the rage that followed his death as the spark for new laws that they say will bring forth change for the better.
DFL State Rep. Cedrick Frazier spoke about the aftermath of Floyd’s murder and the disparities that were brought to light through it, which Frazier says have been present for some time.
“The disparities that we see in our state didn’t happen overnight. It didn’t happen in a couple of years,” Frazier said. “So the work to climb out and close those disparities. It will take the next several years, decades, to make sure we do that.”
Legislators have worked to address problems throughout Minnesota, and members of the POCI caucus are celebrating the accomplishments of the latest legislative session.
DFL State Rep. María Isa Pérez-Vega is a new member of the POCI caucus, and she shared that as soon as she joined, she felt compelled to take action for those affected by racial injustice.
“If we didn’t make a difference after what we’ve seen, and not just with George Floyd, but all the names that have been taken away by the injustices due to the systemic powers that be, we wouldn’t be here today in such a force,” Pérez-Vega said.
Since Floyd’s murder, the POCI caucus has grown, with more and more younger members joining. Frazier says that the new young members have gone headfirst into their work, which is something he takes pride in.
“Putting them in positions to have an influence and impact on the policy that we’re making at this level, it’s been tremendous,” Frazier said.
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