Barack Obama Wins Praises For His Speech On George Floyd, Gives 3 Major Police Reform Suggestions

The former President of the U.S. Barack Obama appeared for the first time in an on-camera interview on Wednesday, June 3, to address George Floyd’s unjustified death.

The address came during a town hall called "Reimagining Policing in the Wake of Continued Police Violence." During his speech, Obama made three specific suggestions related to police reforms that can help prevent and manage such tragedies.

Before Obama made suggestions concerning the police reforms, he expressed his support toward people who are victims of police violence, the law enforcement officers and people spearheading their efforts toward racial justice.

During the start of his speech concerning the police reforms, Obama first of all urged every citizen to read the Task Force on 21st Century Policing that was prepared and released during his time at the administration in May 2015.

He said that it highlights "specific evidence-based reforms ways to build trust [between police and community members], save lives and not increase crime." He said that a lot of elected officials and mayors read and appreciated the report, however, there was not enough follow-up because of which nothing happened.

As a second step, Obama urged every mayor in the country to review their use-of-force policies with members of their community and to pledge to commit to reforms.

He added that there are organizations available already who have the information and data available to show what works and what doesn't when it comes to reducing the cases of police violence and misconduct. So the mayors should be working toward the implementation of such policies.

Lastly, he hoped that every city in the U.S. would become a part of the "My Brother's Keeper community," which is an initiative by Obama to eliminate barriers and provide more opportunities to boys and men of color through specific reforms and programs.

George Floyd’s death has sparked protests across several major U.S. states. While in some places people are protesting peacefully against racial discrimination and demanding quick action against police atrocities, other places have reported violent protests as well as several cases of public looting of showrooms and shops.

Previously, Obama had posted a statement on social media, which criticized the violent protestors but also emphasized that a majority of protestors have been "peaceful, courageous, responsible and inspiring" and deserve the respect and support of others.