EQUALITY CALIFORNIA STATEMENT ON THE CONVICTION OF DEREK CHAUVIN FOR THE MURDER OF GEORGE FLOYD

After a Minneapolis jury convicted Derek Chauvin, a former police officer, of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in the death of George Floyd, Equality California released the following joint statement from Executive Director Rick Chavez Zbur and Executive Director-designate Tony Hoang: 

“George Floyd’s life matters. Breonna Taylor’s life matters. Jaida Peterson’s life matters. Emmett Till’s life matters. Black lives matter.

“Derek Chauvin’s knee was on George Floyd’s neck for nine minutes and 29 seconds. He stole George Floyd’s life and his future — from him, from his family, from his community and from the world.

“Today’s verdict delivered some amount of justice and brought some relief. But nothing can bring George Floyd back to his daughter Gianna, his brothers Philonise and Terrence, his girlfriend Courteney and to everyone who knew and loved him. We all have a role to play in ending police violence and combating racism. We all have a responsibility to stand up for racial equity and justice. This is everyone’s fight, and none of us can afford to sit on the sidelines.

“Today, our thoughts are with George Floyd’s family. They are with every family who has had a loved one stolen from them because of racist violence, police brutality and anti-Blackness. They are with every parent who has endured the pain of explaining centuries of racial injustice and violence to their Black children. We see you, we stand with you and we will continue to fight alongside you — until the work is done.”