Who is Accountable?

The death of George Floyd sparked a worldwide movement against police brutality and has gained the attention of, well, everyone. The protests played a large part in officials finally charging ex officer Derek Chauvin with second degree murder and second degree manslaughter. In addition, the other three officers were charged with aiding and abetting. Many believe that if not for the public outcry for swift justice, none of these officers would have been charged and the incident swept under the rug like so many before it.

Accountability, or lack thereof, is an immense component of disdain for police misconduct. That’s where film maker and director Ava DuVernay steps in. The “When They See Us” writer/director is launching the Law Enforcement Accountability Project (LEAP), an initiative meant to spotlight police officers who have abused and murdered black people. The video of George Floyd’s murder was the catalyst for the project, the director stating in her interview with Ellen DeGeneres that though in this video we saw the victim’s and the officers’ faces clearly “it made me realize that we have let police officers who abuse off the hook by allowing them to recede into society and kind of disappear.”

According to Forbes, “The initiative will fund 25 short-term projects including film, theater, music and literature over the next two years through Array Alliance, DuVernay’s nonprofit for diversity in film”. The fund will start off with a $3 million budget with the first project being released in August. Ava doesn’t agree with society implicitly agreeing not to speak the police officer’s names, allowing them to fade into a life of anonymity – these stories will bring storytelling around police brutality and murder to the forefront.

Will you be watching Ava’s new project?