WASHINGTON — As Gov. Jay Inslee considers changes to improve racial and economic justice, he's inspired by one of the state's most prominent voices.
“A group of people are being brutally murdered because of the color of their skin. The bottom line is that is wrong,” Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson said to reporters yesterday.
Thursday, Inslee recalled Wilson talking about his experiences growing up.
“He remembered his dad telling him ‘Look, you got to remember you’re a young black man and you gotta keep your hands where they can (be) seen when you go into a convenience store.’ And that’s something I’ve never experienced, but he did,” Inslee said.
Inslee said he’s talked to some of the protest leaders and said change must come on many fronts.
“Certainly, when it comes to unnecessary police violence but also all of the other manifestations of this problem that have ended up with huge economic inequities, a lack of educational opportunities, disproportionate access to health care and all the other things that have affected people’s lives,” he said.
And in cases like Manuel Ellis', where there is possible police abuse, the governor wants to be sure investigations are truly independent.
“I do think the state needs to give more thought about which investigator agencies should be involved investigating police violence, and we should have more thought about, I think, prosecutorial decisions.”
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