This statement of solidarity reflects where the attorneys at Gelb & Gelb stand: with those protesting to end pervasive racism and police brutality.
Why We Are Speaking Out
On Memorial Day 2020, police officers killed an unarmed Black man as they held him down and knelt on his neck. For eight minutes and 46 seconds, a uniformed officer’s knee pressed against the innocent man’s neck. Three other officers stood by and did nothing. The man was not resisting. He repeatedly told the officer that he could not breathe. In his last moments, he cried out for his mother. Bystanders pleaded with the officer to lift his knee, yet their pleas changed nothing. George Floyd senselessly died that day because of what can only be described as egregious police brutality.
In the wake of this tragic killing, hundreds of thousands of people across the country have protested the long-standing injustices that Black people and People of Color face. Most of these protests are peaceful. They aim to draw attention to the frequent acts of police brutality against Black people.
Where Gelb & Gelb Stands
This is undoubtedly a challenging time. Yet it is also a time for everyone to speak up and denounce all acts of discrimination. At Gelb & Gelb, P.C., we stand with the protestors as they expose the deep-seated racial biases of many Americans. We also stand against the policies, both official and unofficial, that these attitudes have created. The effects of racism run deeper than the murder of George Floyd. Still, the appalling acts of those officers have again brought the issue to the forefront.
BLACK LIVES MATTER. We must openly acknowledge the pervasive racism and White privilege in current American society. But talking about these issues is not enough. It was never enough. We must take action, because until now the voices calling for change have too often gone unheard. In large part, White men and women have failed to speak up against the racism they witness every day. Even longtime opponents of racism and police brutality too seldom make their positions known, and that silence allows racism to fester. Enough is enough. The White majority can no longer stay silent while our Black community members suffer. Our society, in many ways, was built on the belief that we were not all created equal.
Our Commitment to Action
At Gelb & Gelb, we commit to using our power as Washington, D.C. attorneys to inform, educate, and advocate for change. We must act at home, at work, while socializing with friends, on social media, and at the ballot box. Police officers should not interfere with our right to engage in non-violent protest. Nevertheless, countless reports describe officers responding aggressively to protestors who posed no threat. In fact, police have seriously injured hundreds of non-violent protestors across the country, including here in Washington, D.C. The police force needs to know that we are watching, and that all aggression against Black people must stop.
For over 65 years, Gelb & Gelb has represented injured victims in Washington, D.C., Maryland, Virginia, and Pennsylvania. During that time, we have seen first-hand that the justice system suffers from the same implicit, and sometimes explicit, biases that pervade the United States. We are not ambulance chasers. Instead, we aggressively stand up for the rights of accident victims, regardless of the color of their skin. At the same time, we recognize that now is not the time to be “color blind.” We understand that the experiences of Black men and women, and of other People of Color, differ from our own. We cannot claim to understand the hardships that racism causes first-hand. Even so, we can do better every day by using our platform to advocate for an end to practices and policies that treat citizens differently based on the color of their skin.
If you have been injured, our experienced wrongful death lawyers, car accident lawyers, and slip and fall lawyers are available for a free consultation.
