(Woodbridge, VA) – On the one-year anniversary of George Floyd’s murder, Virginia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Del. Jennifer Carroll Foy released the following statement remembering Floyd and underlining the continued fight against racial injustice.
“A year ago today, the world watched as George Floyd was murdered under the knee of a police officer, a horrific eight minutes and 46 seconds. As a public defender, this brutality was all too familiar, having defended clients who were bloodied and bruised when police cameras were off. In the year since the murder of George Floyd, Virginians, Americans, and people across the globe have rightfully joined together to mourn, protest, and fight for accountability and justice.
“Yet, even after a guilty verdict against Derek Chauvin, this same year has shown just how much work there is still to be done. From the shooting of Donovon Lynch and the assault of Lt. Caron Nazario, to those who have been hurt and harmed whose names never made the headlines, racial injustice still persists in our broken system.
“While true justice would mean still having George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and so many more with us, the fight for real systemic change must continue. Today, I’ll hold my own sons closer. It’s for Xander and Alex, my husband Jeff, and for everyone who has been marginalized by an unjust system, that I will not rest until we have built a Commonwealth that is fair and just for all Virginians.”
Carroll Foy has spent her career working for a fairer, more just Commonwealth, from her time as a public defender representing Black, brown, and other marginalized communities, to her work as Delegate, from passing legislation to ban chokeholds to working to address cash bail reform. As a gubernatorial candidate, she has released a plan to reform the two-tier criminal justice system and has vocally pushed for more transparency and accountability in policing, including joining calls for an independent investigation into Donovon Lynch’s shooting at the hands of the police in March, and pushing for the expansion of civilian review boards.
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Jennifer Carroll Foy has dedicated her life to service. As one of the first women to graduate from Virginia Military Institute, a former foster mom, a magistrate judge, and public defender, Jennifer has embodied the ideals of community, honor and commitment in every facet of her life. During her time in the legislature, Jennifer led the way on the Equal Rights Amendment, proudly supported the successful fight to expand Medicaid to over 500,000 Virginians, and passed a budget that includes a 3% salary increase for teachers. She is a proud mother to twin three year olds, and wife to her husband Jeff, who she met her first week at VMI.