Demand accountability during the Derek Chauvin trial.

Nicole Cardoza
Written By Nicole Cardoza

Happy Monday and welcome back to the Anti-Racism Daily. I started this newsletter days after the death of George Floyd; my way to hold us all accountable for the violence and devastation that racism causes. Today I'm amplifying the work of The George Floyd Memorial Foundation to demand a fair trial, and sharing local reporting from the ground. Please do what you can to support their efforts.

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Nicole

TAKE ACTION

  • Sign the petition urging Governor Tim Walz, Keith Ellison, of Minnesota Attorney General, and Judge Peter Cahill to ensure a fair trial.

  • Send an automated postcard to members of city and state government advocating for a fair trial. Their goal is to send 10,000 cards by March 31, 2021, and I know we can help them get there. A portion of proceeds supports the George Floyd Memorial Foundation.

  • The Minnesota Star Tribune will be making all reporting on this case free to the public. Consider subscribing to support local journalism during this time.

  • Remember, this is not the “George Floyd” trial. George Floyd is NOT on trial. As the NAACP states, “George Floyd was taken from us viciously, inexplicably, and inhumanely. Derek Chauvin is on trial to tell his side of the story. A luxury that was not afforded to George Floyd and countless other men and women within the Black community”.

GET EDUCATED

By Nicole Cardoza (she/her)

Today, March 8, marks the beginning of the murder trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, one of the four police officers responsible for the death of George Floyd in May of 2020. Chauvin is the officer depicted in cellphone and bodycam footage kneeling on Floyd's neck for nearly nine minutes.

Chauvin is charged with second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. Prosecutors were initially denied the chance to add a third-degree murder charge in the case, but the Minnesota Court of Appeals overturned that decision on Friday, March 5. This could potentially delay the trial proceedings (Star Tribune). Three other former police officers involved in the death of George Floyd will face trial together in August 2021. 

If he’s found guilty, Chauvin would be the first former police officer to be convicted of murdering a Black man in Minnesota. He will also be one of the few police officers charged and convicted to this extent. Our current justice system makes it incredibly difficult to hold police officers accountable (NYTimes). Read more about qualified immunity in a previous newsletter. This was made quite evident last September when a grand jury decided not to charge any police officer with a crime for killing Breonna Taylor (NYMag).

And justice is rarely seen for victims of police violence in Minnesota. In the past 20 years, at least 195 people have died in law enforcement incidents in Minnesota. But only one officer has been convicted of an on-duty killing.  That officer was a Somali American man, and the victim was a white woman (Star Tribune). Last Friday, families of over a dozen of those victims gathered to advocate for a murder conviction in this trial – not just for the family of George Floyd, but everyone that’s failed to see accountability in these kinds of cases  (Star Tribune). In each of the families' cases, facts were disputed, credibility was questioned, and police escaped liabilities when juries decline to indict or refuse to convict. Read more about Families Supporting Families against Police Violence in this excellent long-form story from the Star Tribune.

Although courtroom seating is limited due to COVID-19, video, and audio of the trial will be streamed live online, which is also significant. A fair and equitable trial unfolding in real-time may help to shape accountability for future cases. This will be the first time a high-profile trial in a Minnesota state court will be broadcast live, and the second trial in August will be, too (Star Tribune). The Star Tribune will offer a live stream each day on StarTribune.com.

If the city’s preparations for the upcoming trial are any indication, they give a pessimistic outlook on the case’s perceived outcomes. The city plans to spend $1M on security measures, and over half of that budget will go towards fortifying its five police precinct stations (NBC News). They’ve also called in thousands of additional law enforcement, including police officers and members of the National Guard. Although the city says that they have been working in partnership with local activists, reporting Tasneem Nashrulla at BuzzFeed News says otherwise. She reports that many activists did not hear from city leaders until Thursday — just days before the trial — and were not involved in the public safety plan. After criticism, the city also reversed plans to hire local social media “influencers” to spread messages of civility and unity in advance of the trial (USA Today).

Demonstrations have been held all weekend in Minneapolis and across the U.S. They are expected to continue today and throughout the trial (Star Tribune). And although only some may participate in person, it’s clear that the world is watching. George Floyd and his family deserve a fair and just trial, but so do all the families impacted by police violence, and all of us still processing the trauma of police brutality in our communities. The verdict in this trial will symbolize how far we’ve truly come over the past year – and only emphasize how much we’ve fallen short historically.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • Today is the start of the Derek Chauvin trial, one of the four police officers responsible for the death of George Floyd in May 2020.

  • The trial will be livestreamed to the public, and Minneapolis is bracing for tension by hiring law enforcement and building barricades.

  • Police officers are rarely tried or convicted, particularly in Minnesota, and families of victims are advocating for a fair and just trial.

  • The outcomes of this trial hold particular cultural significance and will symbolize how the U.S. is responding to the racial reckoning of the past year.

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Nicole Cardoza
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