Accountability, Not Justice

Statement taken from BlackLivesMatter.com, author’s name not given.  Click here to read the statement on BLM.

The Derek Chauvin Verdict

George Floyd should be here.

We mourn as his family mourns and support them in finding solace and accountability through the guilty verdict — because like countless others, they have been put in a position that they did not deserve.

But let’s be clear — This verdict does not change what we know all too well: White supremacy still exists.

An oppressive, racist system cannot and never will deliver justice for our people. It will never keep us safe. What we saw today was some form of accountability — not justice. Justice would mean George Floyd would be here. Justice would mean a system not rooted in white supremacy. It would be the end of state-sanctioned violence. It would be defunded police. It would be investments in our communities.

It remains abundantly clear that this still does not bring our loved ones back. We do not get George Floyd back. His daughter and family have to grow up without him. The day we will truly achieve justice is the day that no Black person is taken from us at the hands of police.

Though today’s guilty verdict does not bring George Floyd back, the Floyd family continues his legacy through the George Floyd Memorial Foundation which you can support here.

Let us continue to work toward abolition and Black liberation — one where Black people across the diaspora thrive, experience joy, and are no longer defined by their struggles.

Let us continue the work toward a world where there are no more George Floyds.

No more. 

In the name of Black lives — the work will not stop until there are no more.

Because #BlackLivesMatter.