Trevor Noah reflects on George Floyd's death and the logic of looting in heartfelt message

Trevor Noah delivered an impassioned message breaking down recent news events involving black men being killed or threatened with police violence and explained to his The Daily Show audience why such acts can lead to protest violence and even looting.

Employing his usual mix of logic and empathy that the Comedy Central host has used to tackle complex issues in smart ways in recent years, Noah spent nearly 20 minutes in the above video discussing the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, the Central Park altercation between a dog walker (Amy Cooper) and a bird watcher (Christian Cooper), and the shooting death of jogger Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia, as well the elements that link them all. "I don't know what made that [Floyd] more painful, the fact that that man was having his life taken in front of our eyes, the fact that we were watching someone being murdered by someone whose job is to protect and serve, or the fact that he seemed so calm doing it," Noah noted.

Noah described the news events as a series of falling dominoes that are receiving heightened scrutiny and impact due to people staying home during the pandemic. He also portrayed the volcanic reaction seen in city streets around the country over the weekend as not merely about some people taking advantage of peaceful protests. Noah did not condone looting, but offered context for why it happens.

"I saw so many people online saying, 'These riots are disgusting, this is not how a society should be run, you do not loot and you do not burn, this is not how our society is built,'" Noah said. "But what is society? When you boil it down, society is a contract we sign as human beings amongst each other. 'Amongst this group of us, we agree in common rules, common ideals, and common practices that are going to define us as a group.' But if you think of being a black person in America who is living in Minneapolis, or any place where you're not having a good time, ask yourself this question when you watch those people: What vested interest do they have in maintaining the contract? There are people who are destitute when the virus hit and are already broke. Black American people watch time and time again how the contract they have signed with society is not being honored by the society. When you watch Ahmaud Arbery being shot and you heard those men were released were it not for the video and the outrage, what part of the contract is that? When you see George Floyd on the ground losing his life in a way that no person should ever have to lose their life at the hands of someone who is supposed to enforce the law, what part of the contract is that? A lot of people say, 'Well, what good does this do?' Yeah, but what good doesn't it do? How does it help you to not loot Target? Because the only reason you didn't loot Target before was because you were upholding society's contract. There is no contract if the law and people in power don't uphold their end of it."

"That unease that you felt watching that Target being looted, try to imagine how it must feel for black Americans when they watch themselves being looted every single day," he added. "Because that's fundamentally what's happening in America. Police in America are looting black bodies. And I know someone might think that's an extreme phrase, but it's not because here's the thing: I think a lot of people don't realize that George Floyd dying is part of the reason the story became so big. How many George Floyds are there that don't die? It's only the gruesome deaths that stick out. Imagine to yourself, if you grew up in a community where every day someone had their knee on your neck ... you tell me what that does to you as a society when you know that this is happening because of the color of your skin."

At the same time, Noah did express a bit of his characteristic optimism.

"One ray of sunshine for me was seeing how many people instantly condemned [the Floyd video]," he said. "I don't think I've ever seen anything like that. Especially not in America. I haven't seen a police video come out and just see across the board — I mean, even Fox News commentators and police chiefs from around the country — immediately condemning what they saw. No questions, not, 'What was he doing?' Just going, 'No, what happened here was wrong.'"

It’s worth checking out Noah’s full 18-minute self-shot video as he gives more context and detail to his thoughts.

To help combat systemic racism, please consider donating to these organizations:

• Campaign Zero, which is dedicated to ending police brutality in America through research-based strategies.
• Color of Change, which works to move decision makers in corporations and government to be more responsive to racial disparities.
• Equal Justice Initiative, which provides legal services to people who have been wrongly convicted, denied a fair trial, or abused in state jails and prisons.

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• Andrew Cuomo to Trevor Noah: 'I still hold myself responsible' for coronavirus deaths
• Don Lemon calls out celebrities for 'sitting in your mansions and doing nothing' amid protests