All my life, and I’m almost 60 years old, I’ve witnessed cycles of police violence prompt cries for accountability. All my life, I’ve watched things like civilian complaint review boards get set up. All my life I’ve watched no real accountability ever happen. I’ve watched those boards and other supposed instruments of accountability get neutered and made into trivial nothings.

I don’t understand how anything is supposed to change until the police are held truly accountable. Yet every time we try to do that, we’re blocked — by conservative politicians, by police unions, by whatever.

And things just keep on staying the same. Sure, the country was outraged after George Floyd’s murder. Last summer got kind of hot. But you know what? Racist police violence has not diminished, and most white people are already tired of talking about it.

And nothing is changing.