Wednesday on Political Rewind: Last summer, police violence in communities across the country acted as rallying points for discussions over the role of law enforcement in our society. The killing of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Atlanta’s Rayshard Brooks at the hands of police served as stark examples of a concerning trend of violence.

Now, the killing of Daunte Wright amid the ongoing trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin spurs renewed demands for structural change.

In Washington D.C., President Joe Biden declared he wants a federal investigation of Wright's shooting. Meanwhile, Democrats in the U.S. House continued their push for a bill establishing national standards for police conduct.

Mayor Hardie Davis Jr. of Augusta, Ga. said police brutality and racial discrimination have long challenged the nation's democratic ideals. 

"We have to lean in," Davis said. "Now is the penultimate moment of where we have to do it collectively. We cannot retreat to our spheres of influence or the places of comfort."

Panelists:

Mayor Hardie Davis Jr. — Mayor of Augusta

Tiffany Williams Roberts — Southern Center for Human Rights

Leo Smith — Republican Strategist and President, Engaged Futures Group

Greg Bluestein — Politics Reporter, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution