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Guilty – Human Rights Campaign

Human Rights Campaign

On May 25, 2020, Officer Derek Chauvin killed George Floyd by kneeling on his neck for nine minutes. Today, he was held accountable.

This moment of global reckoning on racial justice did not start in the aftermath of George Floyd’s killing, and it does not end at the conclusion of Chauvin’s trial. George Floyd is a victim and symbol of a battle that started long before him.

What is new is the extent to which the killing of a civilian by a police officer has inspired historic numbers of people to show up for Black lives in massive marches, and in so doing, publicly convict a culture of policing that targets Black communities all over the world. These are the makings of the anti-racist culture change we seek, and we should solemnly grieve as we commit to remaining vigilant after the Chauvin trial.

Chauvin’s trial is not an endgame. There is no justice to be had in this single trial so long as we do not address the systemic issues that result in the over-policing and killing of Black people. It is, however, accountability. It is correct to have Chauvin held criminally liable for his crime, and this conviction should send a message to all officers that they will be held accountable for utilizing racist, abusive policing tactics.

Police accountability is anti-racism at work, but it will not succeed as a strategy on its own. Sadly, there is virtually no part of life that is left untouched by racism. If we mean to shift our culture such that police killings of Black people are not a systemic outcome, then we must commit to anti-racism as a daily practice. And even if we reach a day when we can truly say that we live in an anti-racist justice system in a multiracial democracy, we must still choose vigilance. That is the price of liberty.

Policing is more than a legacy issue for our movement. Not only can we trace the roots of our movement to the fight against abusive, discriminatory policing, but we can also see that policing still impacts the lives of many Black and Brown LGBTQ people. The Human Rights Campaign remains committed to this fight because success will help us meet our stated goal of the full liberation of all LGBTQ people.

We will not find solace in a guilty verdict — no verdict will bring George Floyd back to life, back to his loved ones. But I continue to feel a great deal of gratitude for the number of people and organizations who are rising up for racial justice. And the Human Rights Campaign — with you by our side — We will not find solace in a guilty verdict — no verdict will bring George Floyd back to life, back to his loved ones. But I continue to feel a great deal of gratitude for the number of people and organizations who are rising up for racial justice. And the Human Rights Campaign — with you by our side — will keep marching and using our platform for lasting change.

Thank you for all the work that you do to meet our shared mission. Please take care of yourselves and each other. And I look forward to working alongside all of you as we map out a path to an intersectional future.

In Unity,

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Alphonso David
Human Rights Campaign, President
Pronouns: he/him/his

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