Chauvin found guilty in George Floyd's murder
Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin has been found guilty on all charges nearly one year after George Floyd died in his custody on the side of a city street. The video of Chauvin with his knee on Floyd's neck for 9 minutes and 29 seconds sparked protests by millions of people in the U.S. and around the world.
Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin has been found guilty on all charges nearly one year after George Floyd died in his custody on the side of a city street.
The video of Chauvin with his knee on Floyd's neck for 9 minutes and 29 seconds touched off protests by millions of people in the U.S. and around the world, calling for racial justice and police reform.
In Chauvin's much-watched criminal trial, he faced faced three counts: second-degree murder — unintentional; third-degree murder; and second-degree manslaughter. Following the verdict's reading by Judge Peter Cahill, cheers of "justice" and "Black Lives Matter" erupted outside the Minneapolis courtroom and at the location where Floyd was killed. Chauvin's sentencing is expected in eight weeks.
After the conviction, the Floyd family's attorney Ben Crump released a statement which read in part:
“Painfully earned justice has arrived for George Floyd’s family and the community here in Minneapolis, but today’s verdict goes far beyond this city and has significant implications for the country and even the world," the statement reads. "Justice for Black America is justice for all of America. This case is a turning point in American history for accountability of law enforcement and sends a clear message we hope is heard clearly in every city and every state."
Members of Congress also weighed in, including U.S. Rep. Peter Welch, of Vermont, who said the outcome "offered some measure of accountability" in the ongoing struggle for change.
"This verdict is an important step for our country as we wrestle with centuries of injustice," Welch said. "But there is so much more work to do in our communities, in the halls of Congress, and in each of our lives to build a society free of bigotry and inequality. We all must commit to do the work, every day."
In remarks after the verdict was released, Vice President Kamala Harris and President Joe Biden urged Congress to pass the sweeping reforms in the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act. They also noted the importance of reversing the impact of racism.
“It’s the work we do every day to change hearts and minds, and well as laws and policies. That’s the work we have to do. Only then, will full justice and full equality be delivered to all Americans,” Biden said. “And that’s what I just discussed with the Floyd family. The guilty verdict does not bring back George, but through the family’s pain, they’re finding purpose, so George’s legacy will not be just about his death, but about what we must do in his memory.”
— Gareth Henderson
Standing for justice
On the day of George Floyd’s funeral in Houston, the Woodstock, Vermont, community held a “Black Lives Matter” rally on Tuesday including multiple generations standing up for racial equality and justice.
Rev. Leon Dunkley of the North Universalist Chapel Society addresses the crowd with Woodstock Police Chief Robbie Blish at his side during a Black Lives Matter rally in Woodstock, Vermont, on Tuesday. (Gareth Henderson Photo)
On the day of George Floyd’s funeral in Houston, the Woodstock, Vermont, community held a Black Lives Matter rally on Tuesday including multiple generations standing up for racial equality and justice.
The national outcry against racism and calls for reform have continued ever since Floyd’s death two weeks ago, when a Minneapolis police officer arrested Floyd and put a knee on his neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds.
On Tuesday, dozens of cars lined Route 106 in Woodstock Village, minutes before they circled the green, many displaying signs, and headed to the high school to gather. At the head of the procession was Jane Curtis, 102, longtime Woodstock resident who has seen her share of protests over the decades, including for civil rights and during the Vietnam War.
“I think it’s my duty to protest injustice,” she said, in the passenger seat next to her daughter, Katie Curtis Donahue, 75. “It may drag on, but it will be resolved. I think the U.S. can’t live with injustice.”
Jane Curtis, 102, is shown leading the long line of cars at the start of Tuesday’s rally in Woodstock, Vermont, with her daughter, Katie Curtis Donahue, at right. (Gareth Henderson Photo)
Curtis was encouraged to see the number of children, teenagers and families turning out for protests here and across the nation.
“It’s the best thing I’ve seen in years, the young people,” she said. “They’re the future.”
That trend continued when the rally reached the high school, with local third-grader Tripp Overbay addressing the crowd. He had organized a protest on Friday in the village, and encouraged others to help carry on the work.
“We must be a part of the fight to stop racism,” Tripp said, adding, “We have to act now.”
Tripp Overbay, a local third-grader, encourages his community to fight racism during the rally in Woodstock, Vermont, on Tuesday. (Gareth Henderson Photo)
Organizer Gina McAllister then introduced Woodstock Police Chief Robbie Blish, who helped with traffic control for the rally along with his officers. He said the department was “saddened and outraged” when they saw Floyd’s final moments on video. Blish said what happened in Minneapolis goes against everything his department stands for.
“If one of us disgraces our profession, all of us are disgraced,” Blish said. “We have, and we continue to, walk the walk.”
He said 25 percent of his police force are officers of color, and that they follow “fair and impartial policing” policies which prohibit the use of chokeholds.
Rev. Leon Dunkley, of the North Universalist Chapel Society in Woodstock, urged the crowd to remember what unites us.
“We are not separate from one another,” he said.
Multiple generations showed up for the Black Lives Matter rally in Woodstock, Vermont, on Tuesday. (Gareth Henderson Photo)
Dunkley said we all have the opportunity to move change forward through our natural unity as people.
“This is a choice, to say ‘no’ to the violence we’ve seen on TV, to say ‘no’ to a casual brutality that happened over 8 minutes and 46 seconds, to say ‘no’ to the ongoing nature of this pain in our society,” he said. “Part of me resides in you, and part of you resides in me.”
Dunkley also commended Tripp Overbay’s courage: “I follow his lead.”
Also addressing the crowd was Bob Hager, former longtime NBC Nightly News correspondent and Woodstock resident. He recalled his time covering a Ku Klux Klan rally in Charlotte, North Carolina, and also the race riots and the Poor People’s March in Washington, D.C.
Hager spoke about a small minor league team in Lexington, North Carolina, that integrated its roster in 1960. The love of baseball was a unifying factor. He saw white people cheering on the black players, which was an immediate change — despite the fact that segregation was widespread at the time.
“It was a small beginning and a humble beginning, but you’ve got to start somewhere,” Hager said.
That sentiment has been reflected in the State House as well. Windsor County Sen. Alison Clarkson said lawmakers in Montpelier are united in addressing these issues, noting the outcry after the tragedy in Minneapolis.
“It’s just torn the scab off the great national wound of racial inequity and subjugation,” she said.
Clarkson noted Gov. Phil Scott last year appointed the state’s first racial equity director, Xusana Davis. She will chair the state’s new Racial Equity Task Force, as announced by the governor last week.
“We are all committed to changing our world one bill at a time, one life at a time,” Clarkson said.
That dedication to change is keenly felt among the younger generations, who were well represented at Tuesday’s rally. Ariel Brewer arrived at the rally with her three daughters, Adele, 11, Sage, 6, and Neva, 3. They all made signs, one a big red heart, the other stating “Black Lives Matter”, and the third insisting, “Our skin color should not define us.” Adele created the latter sign.
“We look different on the outside, but we’re the same on the inside,” she said.
Her mother senses a boldness in the younger generation, a quality she thinks should be harnessed for change.
“I tell my daughters, ‘If there’s one thing you learn from me, it’s to speak for yourself,’” Brewer said.
If the national discourse is any indication, they are being heard.
— Gareth Henderson
Seeking real change
As the U.S. looks to find its way through the aftermath of the tragic death of George Floyd, Vermont’s leadership offered a statewide perspective today and announced steps forward.
A couple crosses Elm Street in Woodstock, Vermont. (Gareth Henderson Photo)
As the U.S. looks to find its way through the aftermath of the tragic death of George Floyd, Vermont’s leadership offered a statewide perspective today and announced steps forward.
Gov. Phil Scott’s press conference came after Sunday night’s protests, riots and looting throughout U.S. cities, including nearby Boston. It came a week after Scott and the Vermont State Police condemned the actions of police in Minneapolis that caused Floyd’s death.
On Monday, Scott called on all Vermonters to consider what they can do to address the issue of racial inequality.
“We must all make clear, enough is enough,” he said.
Scott also urged people to understand the history that led up to this point.
“While we’re watching the response across the country, it’s important to reflect on a quote from Dr. Martin Luther King, who said, ‘A riot is the language of the unheard.’ They simply don’t know what else to do,” he said. “And for those who see the national protests and feel disdain instead of sympathy, just know, the reactions we’re seeing in cities around the country are the results of decades, actually centuries, of calls for help that went unheard.”
The governor called Floyd’s death at the hands of police “barbaric and totally inexcusable,” saying the officers involved should be charged and tried for murder (one officer is facing a murder charge; three others were fired). Scott also mentioned the recent, and peaceful, protests which occurred in Vermont.
“I assure you, we’re listening. We hear what you have to say,” he said, asking that future protests also be done “peacefully and safely,” especially amid the pandemic.
Scott said we all should remember this about Floyd’s death: “It’s not an isolated incident.” Therefore, he added, just listening is not enough — action needs to be taken.
On Monday, Scott announced the launch of a statewide Racial Equity Task Force, which had already been in the works for several months. He said the task force will:
Look at the disparities among COVID-19 infection and death rates and examine how to close those gaps.
Evaluate available supports for racially diverse populations.
Review current state and federal law on hate speech.
Contemplate ways to encourage Vermonters from a range of racial and ethnic groups to run and serve in public office at all levels.
The governor acknowledged the task force, the members of which will be announced next week, is not the whole solution.
“It’s going to take some soul-searching and real change, individually, to make a difference,” Scott said. “We should take this time to reflect on what role each of us can play to end hate, racism and bigotry. And for those of us who are white, and not typically the victim of it, we have to take a very close look, because the reality is, it’s everywhere, even here.”
Scott said hate and inequality pose a bigger long-term risk to the nation than even COVID-19. But we have the opportunity to address it, together.
“It just takes us, united, to make this a better country for everyone,” he said.
— Gareth Henderson