Derek Chauvin, a former Minneapolis police officer, was found guilty yesterday —on all counts — of the brutal and senseless murder of George Floyd, a Black father, grandfather, son, brother and friend. Floyd’s death was courageously captured on video by 17-year-old Darnella Frazier, taking the struggle for justice in the face of racism to unprecedented national and global levels.
This verdict is unique and important because it holds a police officer accountable for the murder of an unarmed Black man. We hope that it marks a turning point toward true police reform and justice, but there is so much more work to be done.
Over the course of the Chauvin trial, three people per day were killed by police. Here at home, the Chicago Police Department has still not met its benchmarks under the use of force section of a Department of Justice Consent Decree, and police shootings continue. We deserve better.
Access Living stands alongside the activists, protestors and officials who called for justice for George Floyd and who demand it still. We dedicate ourselves to being an ally for real systemic change, accountability and justice that truly serves everyone especially Black and Brown people with disabilities.
We commit to putting people of color out front as we:
- Advocate for community driven crisis services that reduce police interaction, which too often have tragic results.
- Shine a light on disabled people and the criminal justice system.
- Fight to hold the Chicago Police Department accountable to the Consent Decree.
- Continue to learn more, as a white-led organization, about the dangers that Black and Brown people face at the hands of police.
Our hearts go out to the family of George Floyd — he should be alive today. So should Stephon Watts, Adam Toledo, Daunte Wright, Sandra Bland, Breonna Taylor, Laquan McDonald and so many more who have died at the hands of police.
Too many lives have been lost. Black communities and other communities of color have carried the weight of injustice and systemic racism for far too long. We will work to do more.