Death of Tyre Nichols
Floor Speech
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Ms. ADAMS. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Horsford and the coanchors for this evening, the gentleman from Maryland and the gentlewoman from California.
I do rise today to lend my testimony to the conversation about police reform, safe communities, and the value of Black lives.
The brutal beating and the death of Tyre Nichols is a reminder that we do, indeed, have a long way to go to solve the structural racism and the systemic police violence in America.
Tyre was a son. He was a father. I am a mother and a grandmother of sons and daughters. He had a passion for skateboarding and photography, a young person with purpose, potential, and his life was ahead of him.
The Congressional Black Caucus has always been the conscience of the Congress, and that is why we are pushing for reforms to our justice system, specifically regarding the actions and the conduct of law enforcement because no one in this Nation should fear interacting with police officers in their communities, but many Black and Brown people do each and every day. Everybody wants to be safe, and we want safer communities.
Tyre Nichols should still be alive today. That is why we must address the public health epidemic of police violence that disproportionately affects our communities.
Senator Tim Scott, a Republican, in his quote was absolutely right:
We have got to unite against this blatant disregard, he said, for human life, especially from those who have been entrusted with immense power and responsibility for our communities.
We are keenly aware that the police are asked to handle situations sometimes that they simply aren't trained for or equipped to handle. But like many CBC members, I've been there when a police beating or shooting rocked our communities.
In my home of Charlotte, North Carolina, Keith Lamont Scott was having a mental health crisis when he was shot and killed by police, leading to the first major protest and demonstration for Black lives in our community.
That doesn't absolve the officers involved of responsibility, but what it does mean is that with better training and a different approach to policing, Keith Lamont Scott could be alive today, and he should be.
Another man, Justin Carr, lost his life during the protests. Keith Lamont Scott and Justin Carr should both still be alive today.
Something has got to change to prevent further unnecessary deaths, and that is why the CBC and I have consistently supported the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act and other necessary reforms.
Police culture needs to change, and it needs to change right now. That is why the CBC is actively engaging all relevant stakeholders with the aim of developing a legislative solution that can pass Congress and ensure meaningful police accountability reforms.
For every mom and dad and son and daughter, and for every Black person, it is imperative that we deal with this issue and form some legislative solutions and some executive actions and community-based results.
That is how we can put an end to this pattern of Black lives being taken at the hands of law enforcement.
I leave you with the words of Zianna Oliphant, who was 9 years old when she addressed the Charlotte City Council in the wake of the Keith Lamont Scott protests in 2016.
She said: ``I feel like that we are treated differently than other people. I don't like how we're treated. Just because of our color. . . .
``We are Black people, and we shouldn't have to feel like this. We shouldn't have to protest because y'all are treating us wrong. We do this because we need to and have rights.
``I was born and raised in Charlotte. I've never felt this way until now. I can't stand how we're treated. It's a shame that our fathers and mothers are killed, and we can't even see them anymore.''
Mr. Speaker, 9 years old, this young lady was. The truth is clear. Children can even see it. I hope as the CBC continues its work, more of our colleagues will see the truth as well.
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