A Step Forward
The Derek Chauvin trail was played out like a movie over last three weeks. Reminiscent of the O.J. Simpson trial, viewers learned a lot about policing, the inner workings of our judicial system, and some medical terms.
On Tuesday, April 20, the jury in the Derek Chauvin trial found him guilty on all three counts. While the verdict may look like justice, it’s fair to say that real justice would have spared George Floyd’s life. The guilty verdict is more representative of accountability.
In a statement, former President Barak Obama said the verdict was a step forward.
“In this case, at least, we have our answer. But if we’re being honest with ourselves, we know that true justice is about much more than a single verdict in a single trial,” the former president stated.
“True justice requires that we come to terms with the fact that Black Americans are treated differently, every day. It requires us to recognize that millions of our friends, family, and fellow citizens live in fear that their next encounter with law enforcement could be their last. And it requires us to do the sometimes thankless, often difficult, but always necessary work of making the America we know more like the America we believe in.
“While today’s verdict may have been a necessary step on the road to progress, it was far from a sufficient one. We cannot rest. We will need to follow through with the concrete reforms that will reduce and ultimately eliminate racial bias in our criminal justice system. We will need to redouble efforts to expand economic opportunity for those communities that have been too long marginalized.”
Floyd’s daughter, Gianna’s words were almost prophetic 11 months ago, “My dad changed the world.”
