FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, April 21, 2021
Contact: Pamela Russell at 202-618-6433 or prussell@bettermarkets.com
Washington, D.C. – Dennis M. Kelleher, Co-founder, President and Chief Executive Officer of Better Markets, issued the following statement in response to the verdict in the murder trial of George Floyd:
“Justice for all and equal justice under law are the foundational principles of the United States but they have been repeatedly and systemically denied to people of color. The guilty verdict in the George Floyd murder trial is a welcome deviation from that historic pattern, but its outlier status highlights the deep, pervasive, and ongoing structural racism that we all must confront throughout our society.
“Importantly, George Floyd’s murder isn’t just about racism in policing or the criminal justice system. Structural racism manifests itself in all parts of our society where people of color don’t get treated the same, don’t have the same opportunities, and, ultimately, don’t get to share in the American Dream.
“Our financial and economic systems are at the core of creating and perpetuating that unfair treatment, inequality and injustice. Jobs, homes, income, capital, and wealth — creation and accumulation — are key to fully participating in American life and achieving the American Dream. That economic power also enables political, social and cultural power.
“However, that economic power is not only denied to communities of color but is appropriated from them and not just by predators or lawbreakers. Policymakers – lawmakers and regulators — too often rig the rules, regulations, and laws to create an unlevel playing field that benefits the already rich at the expense of everyone else. As a result, the financial and economic systems are turned into power-perpetuation and wealth-extraction mechanisms, not wealth creation systems, and communities of color are disproportionately the targets of those extraction mechanisms.
“Better Markets will continue to fight for a financial system that supports the real productive economy, jobs and growth for all Americans, where everyone has equal and fair access to credit, capital, financial and banking services. We will not rest until our financial system serves everyone in our society, enabling economic security, opportunity and prosperity for all.”
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Better Markets is a non-profit, non-partisan, and independent organization founded in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis to promote the public interest in the financial markets, support the financial reform of Wall Street and make our financial system work for all Americans again. Better Markets works with allies – including many in finance – to promote pro-market, pro-business and pro-growth policies that help build a stronger, safer financial system that protects and promotes Americans’ jobs, savings, retirements and more. To learn more, visit www.bettermarkets.com.
