After weeks of harrowing testimony, Derek Chauvin has been convicted for the murder of George Floyd.
For three weeks, the world has witnessed the traumatizing retelling of Mr. Floyd’s murder presented in the courtroom, while deaths at the hands of law enforcement continued unfettered. Since the trial started, at least 64 people have died at the hands of law enforcement nationwide. Last week, 20-year-old Daunte Wright was fatally shot by a police officer during a traffic stop just miles from the courthouse where the Chauvin trial was underway. In a neighboring state, 13-year-old Adam Toledo, holding his empty hands in the air, was shot and killed by a police officer. The list of names we have collectively mourned rapidly builds: George Floyd, Daunte Wright, Adam Toledo, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Tamir Rice, Walter Scott, Alton Sterling, Philando Castile, Stephon Clark, and countless more victims of police brutality and mass criminalization.
We hope this verdict will be a step toward much-needed reforms in policing and the use of excessive force, which disproportionately impacts Black and Latine people and other Communities of Color. We hope, too, that it will lead to a reckoning around the racism that persists and results in the dehumanization and criminalization of Black people.
Energy Foundation recognizes the interconnected nature of all forms of oppression. The work of dismantling racial oppression and systemic injustice is foundational to tackling the climate crisis. We are deepening our investments in advancing equity—and we must do more to truly live these commitments. This work is a permanent call to action. It must persistently be woven more deeply into our priorities, our workplaces, and our vision for change.