COLUMBUS, Ohio — Dr. David Cohen has taught political science at the University of Akron for 20 years and was recently named the interim director of the university’s Bliss Institute of Applied Politics.
He says the global response to George’s Floyd’s death is more than just a protest—but a social movement that the world hasn’t seen since the Civil Rights era of the 1960s.
“They’re happening in major metropolitan areas, they’re happening in medium sized cities, they’re happening in small rural towns, now gone across the globe. It is a very diverse group of African Americans and other races and religions,” said Cohen.
What You Need To Know
- As mourners continue to pay their respects to George Floyd, his death has spurred activism not just around the country, but around the world
- From peaceful demonstrations to tense confrontations with authority, the movement is only gaining momentum
- Akron Political Science Professor Dr. David Cohen says he expects marches to continue throughout the summer and eventually a record turnout at the polls in November
There have been peaceful protests, murals to hide the scars of looting, not to mention the toppling of Civil War era statues in cities large and small.
Cohen doesn’t think this will fall too quickly from the fast-paced news cycle, nor so easily from the general conscience either, and believes activists won’t let up on pressure to political leaders and elected officials anytime soon.
“Minneapolis City Council has said that they’re going to essentially defund the police and completely transform the way that policing is done. I think that’s going to happen in other cities across the country and I think that’s going to spur on the movement,” said Cohen.
And as for military presence at protests, President Trump had threatened to invoke the controversial Insurrection Act, but has not done so.
“The militarized response angers the protestors and it results in the crimes of agitation and violence that really city leaders are trying to prevent,” said Cohen.
Cohen says he also expects Congress to receive support on both sides of the aisle to bring about change.
And even with the threat of COVID-19, he expects the marches to continue, as well as a record turnout at the polls in November.
“I think this is going to be sustained for awhile, and it should make for a very interesting summer,” said Cohen.
