State Senator James Coleman: Our George Floyd-Inspired Justice Reform Work Continues

State Senator James Coleman

This has been another uniquely challenging year… and it is only May. We have six more weeks in the legislative session, and I am excited about the work that we still have remaining to do. Extending from the work that my colleagues and I in the Black Democratic Legislative Caucus started last year after the death of George Floyd, I have made improving Colorado’s criminal justice system a priority during this legislative session. One of my bills ensures that any person leaving incarceration will have a driver’s license or official state ID card. This bill is already sitting on Gov. Polis’s desk, waiting for him to sign.

Two others are still in the legislative process but will soon also be waiting for the Governor’s signature, I expect. In the Senate, I brought a bill that will create a program in the Dept. of Corrections to evaluate incarcerated people for traumatic brain injuries. This program will start as a pilot in one prison and will prove the need to  grow the program throughout the Dept. of Corrections. The second bill will create a process that automatically seals criminal records for folks that have satisfied their requirements. Colorado’s recidivism rate is at 50%, and these bills are a couple of the most important steps we can take to change that. 

330 days passed between when George Floyd was murdered and the day we got justice. For 330 days it was clear to all of us who saw the horrific incident via television, social media, or smartphone what happened. For 330 days his family had grieved, mourned, and wondered if George Floyd would receive justice. Finally, after 330 days, the jury concluded that Mr. Floyd was in fact murdered, and murdered at the hands of one who had taken an oath to serve and protect. Derek Chauvin violated his oath, and he became a murderer, pressing his knee on the neck of Mr. Floyd for over nine minutes, even as he pleaded for breath and called for his mother. On April 20, the jury decided that murderers can no longer hide behind badges, that they can no longer find safety under the shield, and that no one is beyond the reach of justice.

Let me be clear, Derek Chauvin, does not represent all police officers, but he does represent the racism that is present within our law enforcement and judicial institutions. His actions were taken with his full expectation that regardless of the thousands who witnessed this moment live, he would not be held accountable for his crime against George Floyd.  It is under this expectation and tradition of racist law enforcement that countless - literally countless - Black people in America have been murdered without accountability.  This conviction does not "make up" for those lives, but rather it is a single, small step toward equality under the law. 330 days later, we find ourselves mourning again with George Floyd’s family, with hope that the arch of the moral universe truly bends toward justice.

However, I was not elected to simply hope that the universe bends towards justice. It is my job to apply the pressure to ensure that it does. I am proud of the work that my colleagues and I in the Black caucus started last year, and I believe that the actions that I have taken with my colleagues this year honorably continues it. Despite the ongoing challenges we are all facing, in light of these developments I do believe that a change is coming. 

Not only do I get to believe that as a Black man and one of only two Black male legislators in our 100-person General Assembly, but when I go home to have “the talk” with my son, he can have hope that is different from any hope I have ever had. He can believe that in his lifetime there will be justice for him, as a Black man. This is the work, and it never stops. 

About James Coleman (from Ballotpedia)

James Coleman (Democratic Party) is a member of the Colorado State Senate, representing District 33. He assumed office on January 13, 2021. His current term ends on January 7, 2025.

Coleman (Democratic Party) ran for election to the Colorado State Senate to represent District 33. He won in the general election on November 3, 2020.