Statement On The Derek Chauvin Trial On The Murder Of George Floyd

Statement by Andrianina Irina Randrianarivelo and MadaLiving:

On Tuesday April 20, a jury convicted Derek Chauvin guilty for the murder of George Floyd on all three charges: second-degree murder, second-degree manslaughter, and third-degree murder.

While the jury did the right thing today in convicting Chauvin guilty, the sad part is that justice is still not served. George Floyd should be alive today.

White Supremacy is still embedded deep in the crevices of our social, cultural, economic, and ideological hegemony of our lands.

Today begins reform. We recognize just how insidious our justice and policing systems are. True justice is divesting from all systems that cause oppression to our people. As the former President Obama states: "True justice requires that we come to terms with the fact that Black Americans are treated differently, every day. It requires us to recognize that millions of our friends, family, and fellow citizens live in fear that their next encounter with law enforcement could be their last."

We cannot let George Floyd’s death be in vain and think that this verdict is a victory. It is not a small win. It’s the bare minimum to take steps to upend a system that was created to do exactly this.

No more lives should be taken for us to see we need immediate reform.

The goal is abolition. Just because Chauvin or one coloniser goes to jail does this mean it has “dismantled” anything.

We want to empower ourselves and you to seek to continue to decolonize and fight for liberation.

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Our hearts are with the family of George Floyd 💚

Together with Black folks, Indigenous folks, Asians, and People of Color, in solidarity to seek justice everyday! 

Words inspired from Monita Travis*

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