Moments after a Hennepin County jury delivered a triple-guilty verdict in the trial of former Minneapolis officer Derek Chauvin, the joy and relief expressed over the convictions also echoed in Greater Memphis.
The New Tri-State Defender reached out to an array of people in pursuit of their reflections about the verdict. Here is a sampling of what we heard:
โFinally, a Black life matters โ finally.โย
โธบ Pastor Bill Adkins, Greater Imani Cathedral of Faith
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โI looked at Chauvin as the verdict was read. I looked into his eyes. And you could tell from the body language that for the first time, he knew that justice was right there about to engulf him.ย
โHe could finally see and hear George Floydโฆyou could see the spirit of white privilege leave his body. It was a good day for justice, but that little girl still wonโt have her father, George FloydโฆToday proved that justice is possible in America.โย
โธบ Tennessee State Rep. G. A. Hardaway
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โThis is wonderful. I feel so wonderful. It feels good because at this moment, there is justice in America. Iโm feeling marvelous.โย
โธบ Frank Gotti, Rap/Hip-Hop Artist
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โโฆYes, I am thankful that the family of George Floyd received guilty verdictsโฆbut there are many other unarmed Black people who have been murdered at the hands of law enforcementโฆwho will never receive justiceโฆThe fact that we had to hold our breath as we waited for the verdict speaks to the cancer of racism that plagues Americaโฆโ
โธบ Tennessee State Rep. Antonio Parkinson
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โJustice was served today with the guilty verdict on all counts in the trial of Derek ChauvinโฆI am thankful to all of the jury members for their service.โ
โธบ Linda Nettles Harris, Tennessee Supreme Court Listed Mediator
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โAfter the verdict was read, I had strong mixed emotions. I know people were celebrating, but I donโt believe in police, first of all. I think the entire system of policing should be abolished and replaced with community-centered and community-based public safety mechanismsโฆ
โPolice donโt chase bad guys. They spend their time harassing and over-charging impoverished peopleโฆFor me, it was not a moment of celebration.โ
ย โธบ Amber Sherman, activist, Black Lives Matter-Memphis
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โItโs a sigh of relief and a ray of hope. It appears that justice was rendered today with the entire nation watching. My kids were watching. Our justice system worked today, but it does not always work.ย
โI remember the trial of George Zimmerman. I think the verdict is a path forward as we look to re-imagine law enforcement, making it into one that truly serves and protects citizens in our community.โย
โธบ Van Turner Jr., Shelby County Commissioner; Memphis Branch NAACP President
โThe verdict is in. Derek Chauvin was found guilty on all countsโฆ What does this mean? Justice was served inย thisย case. Justice prevailed.
โBut the justice we need is bigger than the verdict of this one caseโฆ We are not okay. We need much healing from George Floydโs death and the thousands of others who have died without just causeโฆย
“At the National Civil Rights Museum, we are reminded every day of the need for meaningful protest to bring attention to inhumanity and injustice. Dr. King led many non-violent, but disruptive protests. He refused to be silenced in the wake of injusticeโฆ As the nation heard the verdict in the Derek Chauvin trial and mourned more police-involved deaths that have occurred during this trial, we are not okayโฆย
โUntil we do something constructive about it, with the intention of stopping it, not just talking about it, the deaths and the justification for them will continue.ย No. We are STILL not okay.โ
โธบ The National Civil Rights Museum
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โThe scales of justice were balanced and resulted in a three-count conviction. And, George Floydโs family is rejoicing, yet still in grief. Letโs pray for healing of our hearts, our justice system, and our nation. We still have a lot of heart (hard) work to do. Peace and justice should be our ultimate goal.โ
โธบ Patrice Robinson, Memphis City Councilmemberย
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โEarlier today I said I was relieved we didnโt have another painful moment. Then, MaโKiyah Bryant was killed by police in Ohio who then said โBlue Lives Matterโ over her body as it lay in the street. The luxury of relief is not ours.โ
โธบ Tami Sawyer, Shelby County Commissioner
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โJustice is servedโฆguilty on all counts.โ
โธบ Tennessee State Rep. London Lamar
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โThe world exhaled a deep breath of relief as the jury returned a just verdict, holding Derek Chauvin accountable for the death of George Floyd.
โWhile this verdict brings some form of justice to the family of George Floyd, both the nation and the state of Tennessee have to realize that there is still much work to do to obtain equal justice in this country, and we should all pledge to work toward making that dream a reality.โ
โธบ Rep. Karen Camper, Tennessee House of Representatives Minority Leader
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