Boston University professor says property is racist, excuses Black Lives Matter riots after George Floyd death
Some estimates valued property damage after George Floyd protests and riots to be over $1 billion
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A Boston University assistant professor said that property is racist and excused the riots that followed the death of George Floyd, according to a video posted by the school on Twitter Wednesday.
"If we're going to talk about George Floyd and really understand, then we need to understand community reactions," Saida Grundy, who works in BU's Department of Sociology & Program in African American Studies, said. According to the professor's LinkedIn, she also works at Ibram X. Kendi's Center for Antiracist Research
She went on to blast politicians and President Biden for condemning the so-called "community reactions."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"We often hear politicians … [and] civic leaders from inside Black communities and from outside of them as well. [For example,] we heard President Biden say, 'Well I understand your frustration, but don't destroy property,'" she said "Well when you say that to Black people – who historically have been property – one of our greatest weapons was the looting of ourselves as property from the system of slavery. And what we see in communities is they are reacting to the very racism of what we call property."
BOSTON UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR TOUTS THEORY THAT POLICE 'INHERENTLY ARE HARMFUL'
George Floyd portrait in front of Trump International Hotel and Tower at Columbus Circle on June 14, 2020. (Ira L. Black/Corbis via Getty Images)
Floyd was killed in May 2020 during an encounter with Minneapolis police. Former Officer Derek Chauvin was convicted of murder and was sentenced last June to over 20 years in prison.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Throughout the summer of 2020, riots broke out causing hundreds of millions of dollars in property damage in over 1,000 locations. According to Axios, the number of damages could potentially be over $2 billion.
"I think it's really important for people who see reactions of communities to not judge and to not make assumptions about what is good and not good reactions and not actually re-victimize communities by saying there's an acceptable and a not acceptable way to react," the assistant professor continued. "Listen to them, and then we can say what these communities need."
Fox News reached out to the assistant professor who wouldn't comment on the matter.
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On the anniversary of Floyd's death, Biden signed an executive order that would create a national tracking system for officers fired for misconduct. It also mandated body cameras to be worn on federal agents.
He said, "I’ve called on Congress to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, but Senate Republicans have stood in the way of progress. That’s why this afternoon, I’m taking action and signing an executive order that delivers the most significant police reform in decades."