Miami Historian Marvin Dunn On George Floyd: 'Demonstrators Are Saying This Needs To Stop And That's Encouraging'
MIAMI (CBSMiami) - Miami historian Marvin Dunn offers his perspective about recent George Floyd protests.
Protests in South Florida and nationwide were sparked last week after George Floyd, a Minneapolis man, died in police custody.
"When I realized that there were outside agitators in Miami is when I saw them deface Miami-Dade Community College. No black person in Miami-Dade County would deface Miami Dade college given what that college has done to serve the black community, so I knew it had to be outsiders," said Dunn.
Law enforcement confirmed that there were out of towners arrested during the weekend demonstrations, especially in front of the Miami Police Department.
"...The people that have taken over these demonstrations left and the right I think there are going to backfire. I think if we look back on this period we are going to see a community that rejected extreme on both ends... We are a united community that is grieving together," Dunn said.
By the first of the week, it appears the agitators had possibly faded into the woodwork. A clear picture emerged as who was really in the streets.
"We are seeing a mature response from the black community. The total community. You are seeing a moderate response from the community. We have seen anger expressed in a way that the broad community understands," Dunn said.
The demonstrators' defense of a downtown CVS prevented looting.
Dunn points out the folks in the streets, young and old, black, white, brown have a large number of whites involved.
"That's the kind of white outrage that we need. That is what moves the needle and when people saw a murder be committed by a police officer in real time, calling for his mama, it would be very difficult to not be enraged about that," Dunn adds.
"...What we have seen is the response by both black and white demonstrators that they say this needs to stop and that's encouraging."
Dunn says Miami leadership has been open with the peaceful demonstrators and police-community issues are not unsolvable.
