John -- Here we are still reeling from the ongoing trial of Derek Chauvin, reliving the trauma of the murder he committed on camera for the whole world to see. And it’s happened again.

Not 10 minutes from where that trial is being held, police in Brooklyn Center, MN shot and killed a young Black man during a so-called routine traffic stop on Sunday.

Daunte Wright was pulled over by police on the pretext of an expired license plate. They harassed him over the air freshener hanging from his rearview mirror. Then they pulled up the outstanding warrant for a $346 fine for marijuana possession that had gone to collections during the pandemic.

The medical examiner has categorized Daunte’s death as a homicide. Murdered over a few hundred dollars in debt and an air freshener.

Daunte left behind a loving family, a girlfriend and a two-year-old son. They need us now. If you would like to support the Wright family you can give to their verified GoFundMe here.

Just one day before Daunte’s life was taken, bodycam footage from a different “routine traffic stop” in late 2020 in Virginia was released. In that video two white police officers maced and assaulted 2nd Lt. Caron Nazario, a Black and Latino active duty officer in the Virginia National Guard.

Lt. Nazario was in uniform. He remained calm, and tried to calm the highly agitated officers, despite fearing for his life. Yet he was assaulted anyway.

So what are we to do about this? Some are already calling for more training, but we’ve been down that road. “More training” just means “more money,” added to already bloated police budgets.

We must address the root causes: racism and the framework of policing in Black communities. Black people are perceived as threats and policing has been a means of controlling and containing us.

We must reimagine policing in our communities. Police should serve the public, not act as judge and jury, and not hide behind qualified immunity. And corrupt, violent, and incompetent cops must be held accountable. 

We must stop the flow of military equipment to civilian police forces and invest in de-escalation through licensed mental health resources. 

We must end the War on Drugs that has incarcerated millions, destroyed generations of Black families, and led to petty misdemeanors like the one that ended with Daunte’s murder. 

These are all things that Congress can do, and these are some of the solutions that BNC reps like Cori Bush and Jamaal Bowman are already fighting for.

We need to add to their strength in 2022 by electing more bold progressives who are serious about overhauling our entire criminal justice system and ending mass incarceration.

That’s the work we are doing here at Brand New Congress. It is a labor of love and faith. Some days, like today, are harder than others.

The fight for justice continues. 

For Daunte.

Adrienne Bell
Executive Director
Brand New Congress