Yesterday, with the guilty verdict for Derek Chauvin, we can take a breath of relief that the murder of George Floyd will not go unpunished. At the same time, this verdict is not the end of the fight. While it is a step forward in accountability, no amount of punitive justice will bring back George Floyd or the countless victims of police violence. Systemic racism and police brutality continue to affect Black and Brown communities throughout the United States as we’ve seen emphasized these last couple of weeks with the unjust killings of Daunte Wright and Adam Toledo and Ma’khia Bryant. We cannot rest until we have a system that uplifts communities, instead of killing them. Today, let us hold in our hearts the family and loved ones of George Floyd. His life mattered.
In the cloth of the Gospel, we know that we are called to uphold truth, justice, and the dignity of all human beings. As your Student Government, we commit ourselves to serve this Common Good. In the coming weeks, we will work with students to initiate regular conversations with NDPD on student concerns pertaining to police operations and their use of force policy. We can only hope that this past year’s events will drive us forward in the pursuit of true justice, where no life is lost to violence.