WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) today released a statement in light of the protests taking place in Ohio and across the country following the murder of George Floyd, and many people from the Black community, as a result of police brutality:

“Over the last week, Black communities across the U.S. and Ohio have led the nation in demanding justice for the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and so many others at the hands of police. When people come to the streets to peacefully protest, it is an expression of fear, grief, frustration and anger. And, most importantly, it is a call for change.

We need a leader who can rise to meet this moment, but instead we have a President who prefers to incite violence and deliberately divide our country. Our response must be to demand justice for all Black lives lost to police brutality, stand with the people who built this country and work with them to find long-term solutions to dismantle systems of oppression.

The best ideas won’t come out of Washington – the solutions we need to fix our justice system, address wealth inequality and disparities in health access, help communities that have been hurt by redlining and Jim Crow laws and so much more must come from the communities who have been excluded for too long. As a country, we must do better – the President is failing, but the American people can come together to create a more just society.”

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