Columbus Urban League April 20 statement on Chauvin verdict

A verdict was announced today in the Derek Chauvin trial. The following is a statement from Stephanie Hightower, President & CEO of the Columbus Urban League:

“No matter the outcome of this trial, our country must search its collective soul. The death of George Floyd was caught on video and we saw all nine and a half agonizing minutes. That video gave death a voice and racist violence a face. It exemplified the debilitating and sometimes fatal encounters that Black people have reported about law enforcement for decades.

“My team and I will double down. We know that our work for social justice and racial equity matters more today than ever. We know that our community continues to struggle to overcome the effects of hundreds of years of trauma, trauma that is exemplified and exacerbated by the deaths of George Floyd, Casey Goodson Jr., Andre Hill and so many others. I pray that we can grieve peacefully.

“And I also pray that each of us consider some critical questions: What would have happened if there were no video? Why should Black people alone bear the burden of proof of the need for real change? Can you hear us? Will you see us? Most importantly, will you speak for us?”