April 27, 2021
Yes. The verdict from the jury in former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin trial came in. Guilty on all three counts in the death of Mr. George Floyd! Tuesday, April 20, 2021 was a good day. A day to celebrate a victory of accountability fought long and hard for, moving us closer to a more just society. We have all seen the patterns of police brutality and excessive force against black, brown and indigenous people in this country. We all bear witness to violence, the pain, the suffering and the trauma. On April 20th, in the hearing of the verdict, a crack in the wall of injustice was made manifest and for this we are grateful. Grateful to the Floyd family for their undying commitment to bring justice to their loved one. Grateful to the faithful on the ground and around the country who’s activism would not let the nation forget. Grateful to Darnella Frazier who had the presence of mind and heart to stand there with steady hand and film what we have now all seen and was the key to the win. Grateful to Minnesota State Attorney General Keith Ellison (fomer US Congressman) and his team who brought the case to trail prosecuting the case against Mr. Chauvin in a decisive way.
While this verdict was unfolding, 16 year old Ma’khia Bryant was being gunned down by another police officer in Columbus, OH. 13 year old Adam Toledo was killed in Chicago, IL. 20 year old Daute Wright was shot and killed just a few miles from where George Floyd loss his life in Minnesota. And now, the killing of 42 year old Andrew Brown, Jr., in Elizabeth City, NC, all in this month of April, 2021
.It is clear, there’s still much work to do.
So we celebrate and mourn. We fight and march. We struggle and we grief. We cry, laugh and dance! We are our whole human selves.
Please consider the words of activist Deray Mckesson, “The arc of the moral universe is long, and it will bend toward justice, if we bend it.”
May we continue to help bend the moral arc at the elbow of justice!
Moral Monday Leadership Team