Record companies and musicians like Billie Eilish, Rihanna, Ariana Grande are calling for police reform in an open letter which was triggered by George Floyd’s death. Puza Snigdha reports.
More than 45 musicians, actors, and organisation executives have teamed together with record companies such as Sony Music Group, Warner Music Group, and Universal Music Group and have signed an open letter supporting the Justice in Policing Act of 2020 in the U.S. House of Representatives.
The campaign was triggered by the tragic death of George Floyd and the subsequent Black Lives Matter movement which has been active across the globe in demanding an end of police brutality and racism. It aims: “To hold law enforcement accountable for misconduct in court, improve transparency through data collection, and reform police training and policies.”
The letter also says: “We mourn the killing of George Floyd and the unnecessary loss of so many black lives before his,”
It goes on to say: “We must hold accountable those who violate the oath to protect and serve, and find justice for those who are victim to their violence. An indispensable step is having access to disciplinary records of law enforcement officers. New York statute 50-A blocks that full transparency, shielding a history of police misconduct from public scrutiny, making it harder to seek justice and bring about reform. It must be repealed immediately.”
The open letter was sent to New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, New York Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, and was shared publicly at the start of the week.