Atlanta, GA, January 28, 2023 – What happened to 29-year-old Tyre Nichols should not have happened. This senseless loss of life is being felt across the country. The National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Inc. (NCBW) finds the brutal beating of Tyre by Memphis police officers to be very disturbing and heartbreaking.
After all the supposed reforms police departments made following the high-profile police killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, and other Black victims, how could something like this happen? As a country, we continue to struggle to prevent these horrific incidents from occurring and hold the powerful accountable.
NCBW believes policing in this country is at a crossroad. What is becoming more and more apparent is that law enforcement is frequently falling short of its fundamental task of protecting and serving all communities fairly and effectively. We support all efforts that will make law enforcement more accountable to communities. We believe there needs to be a greater focus on rethinking the role of police and consider new ways to tackle some of the most pressing problems in police departments. “We must also inspire action through education and advocacy. It’s imperative that lawmakers on Capitol Hill revive the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, to hold police accountable for their unlawful actions. Lawmakers must take action to prevent senseless tragedies like Tyre Nichols,” said NCBW National President Elizabeth A. Jones.