While we continue to mourn the life of George Floyd and feel for his family, we are relieved by the verdict of guilty on all counts in the Derek Chauvin case. We recognize that much work remains to be done to eliminate the influence of white supremacy on policing in America. Justice has begun to be served by the verdict in this particular case, but it still eludes so many Black, Indigenous, and other people of color in dealing with a criminal justice system shaped by structural racism.
We know that Black people will continue to face threats to their lives from law enforcement—but let this verdict be a reminder to police officers in every jurisdiction that there are strict guidelines on their use of force. And let us all acknowledge that Black lives will only be protected from these threats if policy changes eliminate the structural racism that runs rampant in our criminal justice system.
