On behalf Entre Hermanos, one of our Immigration Attorney (Kelsey Shamrell-Harrington), responded to the recent announcement of the verdict in the trial for the murder of George Floyd
Date Posted: April 20, 2021
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| Entre Hermanos stands in solidarity with our brothers, sisters, and siblings of color in this moment, and together we breathe. We mourn George Floyd. We acknowledge the pain and harm that has been perpetrated both against George Floyd and against his family, his community, the Black community, and all people who together wonder: will my family be next. Will justice ever be served. We breathe a collective sigh of relief as we honor and applaud the verdict reached by the jury in the trial of Derek Chauvin, finding him guilty of “second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter.” We recognize that this verdict could not have happened without the collective outrage, demonstration, activism, and public pressure that was placed on the media, the Minneapolis Police Department, and government officials. That this verdict might not have happened, like so many others did not happen, without the testimony of members of the Minneapolis Police Department, and the supervisors of the man who – we can now say – was found by a unanimous jury to have murdered George Floyd. We recognize that the fact that this verdict could only happen with enormous public pressure and the willingness of other officers to testify against Derek Chauvin is a symptom of a system that is not designed to bring justice to people like George Floyd. A system deeply entrenched with rampant systemic racism. We breathe, and we release an exhale of frustration. We recognize that this verdict tastes bittersweet to a mourning family, community, and world. We recognize that convicting a man who used a police badge as a license to murder to a prison sentence is a cruel irony, and little balm to a community that has been so victimized by the criminal justice system and the systemic use of imprisonment against their own community. We also recognize that it is the first time anything like justice has been seen for Black people murdered by police in a very long time. We recognize that, as with any moment that feels like a victory, the real work begins now once more. We recommit. We stand with those who still have gotten no justice. We breathe, and we inhale precious oxygen that will empower us to continue to strive for true justice for our community and for all communities. |
| #BlackLivesMatter |