INDIANAPOLIS — Former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty on all three counts for the murder of George Floyd.
But local activists said the verdict isn’t justice.
“I would absolutely not say that there was justice, I think that was a specific incident of a police officer being held accountable for a police officer whose actions were not in line with being a police officer,” said Lauren Turner, co-founder of Black Women in Charge.
“That was not justice that was accountability he murdered somebody and he’s going to jail for it,” said Ashten Spilker, Co-CEO of Communities Allied for Racial Equity.
“Justice would be changing the systemic laws that have allowed for incidents like this to happen in the first place,” Turner said.
The Chauvin trial had several eyewitnesses, video footage of all nine minutes and 29 seconds, police body cam footage, testimony from medical experts, multiple police officers and the police chief himself.
“The fact that the African American community and even the brown community wasn’t sure what the verdict was even though there was video is an indictment on this country,” said Pastor Kendall Wyatt, president of the Young Lions Action Network.
“I myself have even questioned if some of those important aspects weren’t there, would we have gotten the (same) verdict?” Turner said.
“Think about the bar that is set for Black and brown people to get justice in this country. Think about how high that bar is?” Pastor Wyatt said.
“It’s the racism of white people who have made it this way and it’s up to us to do a lot of this leg work,” Spilker said.
Activists say the work is far from over. Spilker said Communities Allied for Racial Equity will continue to raise awareness and work with local leaders and school officials.
The Young Lions Action Network said it will continue with “challenging the power seat in the statehouse about some of the legislation we have and challenging those in leadership at the city level. We have requested a meeting with police Chief (Randal) Taylor and Chief (Kendale) Adams,” said Pastor Wyatt.
“I can listen to the Black and brown people in my life and listen to what they think has to happen and be a change agent for that,” Spilker said.
Turner said as activists “we can’t really take our foot off the gas we have to keep pressing.”
As the fight for racial justice continues, many Americans are waiting on pins and needles again to see how Derek Chauvin will be sentenced.
