New York, NY, April 20, 2021 ... ADL (the Anti-Defamation League) released the following statement regarding the guilty verdict reached today in the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd:
The jury’s decision to hold Derek Chauvin accountable for the murder of George Floyd is a critically necessary first step in securing #JusticeforGeorgeFloyd.
And yet, no guilty verdict can change the fact that George Floyd -- and Breonna Taylor, Daunte Wright, Adam Toledo, and too many others -- should be alive today. Our country's policing and criminal legal systems have targeted and devalued Black, brown, and Indigenous lives for centuries. The issue is much bigger than one traffic stop, one no-knock raid, one police shooting, one department, or one city. It is long past time for our country to tackle systemic racism, reimagine what public safety looks like, and create transformational change to ensure justice and fair treatment for all people. Black Lives Matter, and our society's laws, practices, and institutions must reflect that.