The White Privilege of ‘Necessary’ Violence

What happened in Minneapolis is a political and emotional expression of trauma in response to generations of Black suffering

A protester holds up a placard in front of police officers near the 5th police precinct during a demonstration to call for justice for George Floyd, a black man who died while in custody of the Minneapolis police, on May 30, 2020 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Photo: Chandan Khanna/AFP/Getty Images

On May 25, 2020, in Minneapolis, officer Derek Chauvin held his knee against the neck of a handcuffed Black man for more than eight minutes. The man, George Floyd, pleaded for his…