SARASOTA COUNTY (WSNN) – After Derek Chauvin was found guilty on all three charges in the death of George Floyd, some black leaders on the Suncoast are celebrating.
From protesting in the rain to taking the streets in the brutal heat the countless steps taken to fight for justice led to this moment:
“Count one, unintentional second-degree murder while committing a felony find the defendant guilty,” Judge Peter Cahill said.
“We know that the conviction of Derek Chauvin was a direct effect on the people’s movement,” Party for Socialism and Liberation organizer Ruth Beltran said. “And the people mobilizing in the middle of a pandemic by the hundreds, by the thousands, city after city nationwide, and actually worldwide.
After George Floyd took his last breath under Derek Chauvin’s knee, many across the nation were holding *their* breaths before Tuesday’s verdict.
“It was so evident that Chauvin was guilty, but for the African American, we say, ‘No, Rodney King was on video too,'” Westcoast Black Theater Troupe Founding Artistic Director, Nate Jacobs said. “So, we didn’t take it for granted that there would be a conviction.”
But there was. Former Minneapolis Police officer, Derek Chauvin, was convicted of 2nd and 3rd-degree murder and 2nd-degree manslaughter.
“We are just so very pleased that there is a glimmer of hope,” Jacobs said.
“It was a bittersweet moment. I was happy that he had been found accountable and guilty for his actions,” Leaders Rights Organization Founder Alaina Martinez said. “However, I understood that the family would never have actual peace.”
While the verdict held the former police officer accountable, Alaina Martinez can’t breathe that full sigh of relief yet.
“We still have the fear of what’s going to happen if we get stopped by the police,” Martinez said. “We still have the fear if we call the police and we are suddenly now the one with a gun pointed to our heads.
Locals call it just one small step in a long journey ahead.
“We still need to bring accountability to the countless victims of police brutality that we have here locally and also nationwide,” Beltran said.
According to a New York Times article, at least 64 people, more than half of which are people of color, have died at the hands of police since the start of Derek Chauvin’s trial,
Wednesday night, these black leaders along with others on the Suncoast, are celebrating the verdict in a “Black Lives Matter” rally at the Manatee County Courthouse. It starts at 6:30 and goes on until 8 pm. It’s open to the public.
