Tuesday’s conviction of former police offer Derek Chauvin brings accountability and some degree of justice in last year’s murder of George Floyd, but it is only the starting point for the work that needs to be done to end race-based inequity once and for all.
We express relief that Chauvin was convicted of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and manslaughter in Floyd’s death, captured on video in broad daylight on a busy street in Minneapolis. We are optimistic that the jury verdict is a step in the right direction in reversing generations of social and racial injustice that have permeated all walks of life in the United States.
Still, the case represents only the beginning — not an end point — of the work ahead of us. We know that Black, Brown and other people of color represent a disproportionate number of victims in police shootings. We know that people of color face barriers and challenges in employment, housing, health care, and education that white people do not. We know that decades and even centuries of injustice cannot be undone with a single jury verdict.
SMCC is committed to creating positive change to eradicate systemic racism and racial injustice from our institution and our community. SMCC’s position is stated in our Anti-Racism Statement.
The conviction of Derek Chauvin does not erase the hurt and grieving over Floyd’s death felt by his family and friends, Minneapolis and the country as a whole. But we hope the verdict eases the pain and strengthens our collective resolve to dismantle systemic racism in our country.