Where segregation failed, policing was replaced, as George Floyd knew all too well on May 25th, 2020.
Floyd’s murder would ignite worldwide protests calling for police and racial justice reform in all sectors
of society. As reforms were quickly promised to quell civil unrest, an equal wave of resistance to racial
equity began. As domestic terrorism from the alt right increased by 60%, questions began to arise: What
is it about our culture that allows White Supremacy to thrive? How can I as an ally resist a system that
has always existed? We will explore these questions within the context of the George Floyd protests of
2020.
Our guest speaker, Bontu Gemeda, is a graduate of the University of St. Thomas with a B.A. in History.
As a student, she visited the Emmett TIll Historic Intrepid Center in Glendora, MS. Learning of the
violence African Americans experienced in the Deep South fueled her curiosity and passion for
understanding the role of government during segregation. In her final research project, Disruption in the
Delta: How the Lack of Government Oversight Harmed African Americans in the Mississippi Delta, she
sought to answer the why behind the extreme violence faced by African Americans in the region. After
graduating, she worked for the Rondo Commemorative Plaza as an event organizer dedicated to
bringing health and wellness events to the diverse community of Rondo. Currently, she works as an
Admissions interviewer for Boynton Health at the University of Minnesota, helping students get the
healthcare they need.
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