Bassford Remele's Statement on the Death of George Floyd:

Bassford Remele joins the millions of people across the Twin Cities, the State of Minnesota, the United States and the world in condemning the heinous and tragic death of George Floyd. Sadly, Mr. Floyd’s death showcases another senseless death of a person of color at the hands of law enforcement.

It is our hope and expectation that Mr. Floyd did not die in vain and that his death will force reflection and, most importantly, action by all of us to assess, address and defeat the racism that pervades our country. But it must be more than slogans or themes. It must be action that addresses racism and other biases that exist in all of us. It won’t be easy or simple, but it must happen. Peaceful protests create awareness, but awareness must also bring about action.

As a Firm, we believe that Black Lives Matter. And as a Firm, we encourage everyone to look openly and deeply at ourselves and our society and to stand up against all injustices, whether based on race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability or any other personal characteristic. We also applaud, encourage and support our employees and our community who already have, and will continue to, lead society toward necessary change. This is not a new problem. The problem is systemic, and it is time for change. As a Firm we will work to protect the rights of everyone in our community, country and world through awareness and activism in the legal community and our society.

In the short term, we encourage everyone to join us in providing their time and financial assistance to important causes addressing racism and rebuilding our communities. In the long term, we encourage everyone to have open eyes, minds and hearts, and to join us in getting actively involved to bring about the necessary change in our society toward equality, respect, and human decency.