Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: Majority
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: Supervisor Warren Slocum, District 4
Supervisor Don Horsley, District 3
Subject: Resolution Supporting the Black Lives Matter Movement
RECOMMENDATION:
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Adopt a resolution supporting the Black Lives Matter movement and reaffirming the County of San Mateo's commitment to racial equity.
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BACKGROUND:
On May 25, 2020, George Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man, was killed during an arrest in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Shortly after George Floyd's death, a video of the arrest was released showing Derek Chauvin, a white police officer, kneeling on Floyd's neck for almost nine minutes while Floyd was handcuffed and lying face down in the street, begging for his life and repeatedly saying "I can't breathe"
George Floyd's murder was made public shortly after the murders of Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old Black woman who was fatally shot in her home after Louisville police mistakenly executed a no-knock warrant at the wrong address in the middle of the night. Similarly, Ahmaud Arbery a 25-year-old Black man who was recently shot by a former police officer while Mr. Arbery was jogging in Brunswick, Georgia. In the aftermath of these murders, there were protests in over 100 cities across all 50 states and in multiple areas of San Mateo County.
While the protests over George Floyd's death were ongoing, Rayshard Brooks was shot and killed by a police officer in Atlanta, Georgia after being pulled over for falling asleep in fast food restaurant drive-thru. This murder also sparked protests.
These protests are all part of the even larger #BlackLivesMatter movement, which began in February 2012 after the murder of Trayvon Martin and seeks to end the senseless murders of Black people at the hands of police officers. The Black Lives Matter movement advocates against systemic racism and police brutality, and promotes using anti-racist tactics to reevaluate...
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