SACRAMENTO, Calif. – California legislators took a knee for eight minutes and 46 seconds to pay tribute to George Floyd Tuesday morning. 

Dozens of members from the State Senate and Assembly came together for a solemn moment on the steps of the Capitol to acknowledge those who have lost their lives to police brutality and white supremacy.

The organizer of the event, Assemblymember Sydney Kamlager, hopes that this is the beginning of the movement to condemn racism.

The lawmakers knelt for the length of time that George Floyd was struggling to breathe before he died by the hands of the police. 

Asm. Kamlager says there are a number of bills currently in the legislature that address systemic inequality and racism.

“There’s a bill to ban the carotid hold, there is a bill to reform probation, there is a bill called the crisis act that will offer alternatives to policing,” Asm. Kamlager said.

She encourages her colleagues to vote for these bills, but also urges Californians to take a stand by calling their representatives to make their voices heard.

The Assemblywoman teamed up with the LA County Delegation to organize this tribute with the expectation that the event will eventually lead to meaningful legislation being passed.

“The thing that makes us strong is when we see our differences and acknowledge and celebrate our differences and work with those differences to create strength. We should not give up on this moment,” Asm. Kamlager said.

Kamlager hopes that this is not just a moment, but a movement that will lead to greater justice and equality throughout California.