As the nation continues to mourn Tyre Nichols, Black lawmakers are using the State of the Union on Tuesday to highlight the reality of police violence by inviting victims and their families to attend.
Among those who will be present tonight will be Milwaukee Bucks player Sterling Brown. In 2018, Brown was beaten and tased by police officers over a parking violation. The horrific incident drove home the point that regardless of someone’s wealth or social status, police brutality is an ever-present threat to Black Americans.
Brown eventually won $750,000 from the city of Milwaukee. However, he refused the settlement, arguing that officers must be held accountable.
Wisconsin Congresswoman Gwen Moore, who represents Milwaukee, said it was essential to bring Brown because his story spoke to their community.
“It’s a miracle that he walked away,” said Moore, referencing Black Americans who’d been killed during traffic stops. “I invited him so that I can keep people in the community in the fight.”
When Brown received the invitation from Moore, he says he knew he had to be there to support the families who’ve lost loved ones to police violence and the activists pushing for change on the ground.
“It was important to support everything that’s going on, especially the families [who’ve lost loved ones],” says Brown. “and also, for the George Floyd Act, which is key to helping make progress.”
Invitations to the State of The Union have often been used to send a message about the most significant issues facing our nation, and tonight is no different. Members of the Congressional Black Caucus have invited more than a dozen Black families of people killed or brutalized by police to the State of the Union.
The families of George Floyd, Eric Garner, Walter Scott, Michael Brown, Tamir Rice, and Ronald Greene are expected to be among those in attendance. First Lady Jill Biden also invited the family of Tyre Nichols, the Memphis man who was brutally beaten to death by police officers in early January.
Brown said he especially wanted to be there for the mother of Tamir Rice.“There are no words to explain why a 12-year-old should have been killed. And there’s still no conviction in his case,” he says, adding that it’s essential to lift up all of the families in attendance tonight.
Moore is hoping for more than just a gesture from the White House in President Joe Biden’s speech.
“Tonight we, the Congressional Black Caucus, want to make sure that the President didn’t just brag about his accomplishments and forget the most urgent issue in communities of color,” says Moore. “Policing, that is costing lives.”
Brown says that he wants to send a message to keep fighting. “It’s going to take us all... to keep making advancements and strides,” says Brown.
For folks who want to watch Biden’s second State of the Union address tonight, the program will be broadcast live at 9 pm ET. on all major news networks, and you can check it out on the White House’s Live stream online.