Actions in May

On May 25, 2020, George Floyd a 46-year-old black man, who was unarmed and placed under arrest face down on the ground was murdered by Ex-Officer Derek Chauvin. Chauvin pinned Floyd to the ground with his knee in his neck for approximately 9 minutes. Floyd pleaded for his life by letting out agonizing gasps of “I can’t breathe”. We saw this similarly with Eric Garner in New York who was choked out by Ex-Officer Daniel Pantaleo. For three minutes, George Floyd was unresponsive while other officers Thomas Lane, J.A. Kueng and Tou Thao stood by and watched this gruesome act of violence on yet another Black body. An independent homicide report conducted by the family as well as a follow-up by the coroner of Minneapolis ruled that this was indeed a Homicide. George Floyd is another victim in a long history of murders by the police including Breonna Taylor, Rekia Boyd, Oscar Grant, Kayla Moore, Aiyana Stanley-Jones, and so many others. The brutality must end and Brothers of Sigma Kappa Lambda are using their voices to speak on these issues. On Saturday, May 30, under the vision of Bro. Dr. Charlie Nelms, Bro. James Sanders, Bro. Marvin Jones Jr, Bro. Dedric Dennist Jr, Bro. Tislam Swift, Bro. Treon McClendon, and Bro. Samuel Young arrived at the Farmer's Market at 9 AM for a peaceful protest and stand in solidarity with the global actions taken by citizens fighting against racism and systemic oppression. Within the first 10 minutes, these brothers were met with opposition as the Marker Coordinator threatened to call the police. The brothers were steadfast, for they knew the reason why they had to be there. The show of solidarity took place for three hours and in that time many interactions with patrons wanting to support including three members of the Bloomington community who took up signs to join in the protest. Before leaving the market Bro. Sanders and Bro. Jones Jr, respectfully explained to the coordinator who made the threat, the actions that could have transpired if the police arrived and how she would be seen responsible if something happened to them. The work continues and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. provides service and advocacy for our communities. We want to acknowledge the continued efforts of members of Sigma Kappa Lambda who will #SayHisName, #SayHerName, and #SayTheirName. #BlackLivesMatter