A few moments ago, we all learned the verdict in the Derek Chauvin trial. This landmark trial has been viewed as a referendum on police accountability and brutality against Black and Brown Americans—and, as such, it has been closely followed by millions of people demanding the abiding structural change that is long overdue in our country. Of course, the deep-seated hurt, sadness and anger that George Floyd’s murder evoked cannot be wiped away with the reading of a guilty verdict. It is my ardent hope that as we pause and reflect on the verdict, we consider how we can transform this moment in our collective history into a turning point for genuine reconciliation and change: change in our hearts, our minds, our practices, our systems.
