Activism
Civil Rights Leaders Demand Results in George Floyd Justice in Policing Act Negotiations
The Democrat-led House has passed the bill twice over the last 12 months, yet, as the deadline passed, the bill continues to be trapped in a holding pattern in the Senate.

Civil Rights leaders from across the nation are calling for Congress to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act.
In a joint statement released late June 2021, leaders of several Civil Rights agencies demanded that Congress produce a final version of the bill that will pass the House and Senate by the end of June more than one year after George Floyd’s murder and just days following Derek Chauvin’s sentencing.
The Democrat-led House has passed the bill twice over the last 12 months, yet, as the deadline passed, the bill continues to be trapped in a holding pattern in the Senate.
“We collectively demand that Congress honor its commitment to produce a final bill that can pass the House and Senate before the end of June and ensure a strong George Floyd Justice in Policing Act is passed before the August recess,” they said.
“The nation desperately needs a transformation of policing policies and practices — from inner cities to suburban neighborhoods to rural counties. The only way to begin this process is with federal legislation that sets meaningful standards and removes legal impediments to holding officers accountable for unconstitutional policing practices. The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act was conceived and created with a focus on accountability and contains provisions overwhelmingly supported by the American people. This vital civil rights legislation is long overdue.”
Below is some chronology on the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act as it has played out in Congress over the last year.
On June 8, 2020, Congresswoman Karen Bass introduced H.R. 7120, the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2020. The House approved the bill with unanimous support of Democrats and three Republicans by a 236-181 vote.
The bill included provisions to overhaul qualified immunity for law enforcement, prohibitions on racial profiling on the part of law enforcement and a ban on no-knock warrants in federal drug cases. It would ban chokeholds at the federal level—classifying them as a civil rights violation and would establish a national registry of police misconduct maintained by the Department of Justice.
On June 17, 2020, the bill failed to pass the Senate procedural vote needed to advance in the then Republican-controlled Senate.
South Carolina Senator Tim Scott (representing several Republican Senators) proposed alternative legislation that would diminish the use of chokeholds but wouldn’t ban them and called for increased federal reporting requirements for use of force and no-knock warrants.
Senate Democrats responded by rejecting the Senate’s alternative legislation citing its narrow scope and failure to address racial inequality.
On Feb. 24, 2021, Bass reintroduced the bill as H.R. 1280 the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2021. For the second time, the bill passed the House on March 3, 2021, in a near party-line vote of 220-212.
Today, the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act has yet to gain traction in the Senate, although bipartisan discussions between Bass, Scott and Sen. Cory Booker continue.
According to Bass the House-Senate stalemate centers on the two most contentious parts of the bill: (1) qualified immunity (which essentially would allow a citizen to sue a police officer for brutality or worse) and (2) Section 242, which lowers the standard needed to prosecute police officer.
In a March 2021 interview with NPR, when asked if she’d be willing to compromise. these two salient parts of the bill, Bass responded with a no.
Activism
Oakland Post: Week of May 28 – June 30, 2025
The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of May 28 – June 3, 2025

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Activism
Oakland Post: Week of May 21 – 27, 2025
The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of May 21 – 27, 2025

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Activism
OPINION: Your Voice and Vote Impact the Quality of Your Health Care
One of the most dangerous developments we’re seeing now? Deep federal cuts are being proposed to Medicaid, the life-saving health insurance program that covers nearly 80 million lower-income individuals nationwide. That is approximately 15 million Californians and about 1 million of the state’s nearly 3 million Black Californians who are at risk of losing their healthcare.

By Rhonda M. Smith, Special to California Black Media Partners
Shortly after last year’s election, I hopped into a Lyft and struck up a conversation with the driver. As we talked, the topic inevitably turned to politics. He confidently told me that he didn’t vote — not because he supported Donald Trump, but because he didn’t like Kamala Harris’ résumé. When I asked what exactly he didn’t like, he couldn’t specifically articulate his dislike or point to anything specific. In his words, he “just didn’t like her résumé.”
That moment really hit hard for me. As a Black woman, I’ve lived through enough election cycles to recognize how often uncertainty, misinformation, or political apathy keep people from voting, especially Black voters whose voices are historically left out of the conversation and whose health, economic security, and opportunities are directly impacted by the individual elected to office, and the legislative branches and political parties that push forth their agenda.
That conversation with the Lyft driver reflects a troubling surge in fear-driven politics across our country. We’ve seen White House executive orders gut federal programs meant to help our most vulnerable populations and policies that systematically exclude or harm Black and underserved communities.
One of the most dangerous developments we’re seeing now? Deep federal cuts are being proposed to Medicaid, the life-saving health insurance program that covers nearly 80 million lower-income individuals nationwide. That is approximately 15 million Californians and about 1 million of the state’s nearly 3 million Black Californians who are at risk of losing their healthcare.
Medicaid, called Medi-Cal in California, doesn’t just cover care. It protects individuals and families from medical debt, keeps rural hospitals open, creates jobs, and helps our communities thrive. Simply put; Medicaid is a lifeline for 1 in 5 Black Americans. For many, it’s the only thing standing between them and a medical emergency they can’t afford, especially with the skyrocketing costs of health care. The proposed cuts mean up to 7.2 million Black Americans could lose their healthcare coverage, making it harder for them to receive timely, life-saving care. Cuts to Medicaid would also result in fewer prenatal visits, delayed cancer screenings, unfilled prescriptions, and closures of community clinics. When healthcare is inaccessible or unaffordable, it doesn’t just harm individuals, it weakens entire communities and widens inequities.
The reality is Black Americans already face disproportionately higher rates of poorer health outcomes. Our life expectancy is nearly five years shorter in comparison to White Americans. Black pregnant people are 3.6 times more likely to die during pregnancy or postpartum than their white counterparts.
These policies don’t happen in a vacuum. They are determined by who holds power and who shows up to vote. Showing up amplifies our voices. Taking action and exercising our right to vote is how we express our power.
I urge you to start today. Call your representatives, on both sides of the aisle, and demand they protect Medicaid (Medi-Cal), the Affordable Care Act (Covered CA), and access to food assistance programs, maternal health resources, mental health services, and protect our basic freedoms and human rights. Stay informed, talk to your neighbors and register to vote.
About the Author
Rhonda M. Smith is the Executive Director of the California Black Health Network, a statewide nonprofit dedicated to advancing health equity for all Black Californians.
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