From GLAD Executive Director Janson Wu:

Today we are thinking first and foremost of the family and friends of George Floyd, and of their Minneapolis community which has had to endure the nightmare of witnessing the brutal murder of a family member and neighbor, and the additional trauma of this trial. Our hope is that this verdict brings some measure of relief, comfort, and a starting point for healing for Floyd’s loved ones, and for Black families and communities who have particularly borne the weight and trauma of a country finally forced to begin reckoning with our history of racism. Today’s guilty verdict provides a measure of accountability for a deeply unjust death, and is a step toward justice. But we cannot forget that true justice would see George Floyd alive today. Accountability for police violence is still too rare. And for Black and Brown communities across the country, the nightmare and loss experienced by George Floyd’s family is too common and too persistent a threat. We must continue the work of confronting systemic racism in policing, end qualified immunity, and invest in our communities to create a system of public safety that is focused on safety for all rather than inherently deadly to some.