Dear John,

Yesterday, a jury in Minnesota unanimously convicted former police officer Derek Chauvin in the murder of George Floyd.

We are glad that those who knew and loved George Floyd will feel some modicum of resolution and closure from this verdict. However, what we saw yesterday was not real justice.

On the contrary, it was a damning indictment of the institutional injustice that infects every aspect of our criminal legal system. And it also shows us how the system, when in danger, will occasionally sacrifice one of its own to avoid true accountability.

Police officers in the United States are now shooting and killing about 1,000 people every year.¹ Over the last 15 years, only 140 officers have been arrested on murder or manslaughter charges related to on-duty shootings. Only seven have been convicted of murder.²

While the Chauvin trial was underway, police in nearby Brooklyn Center, Minnesota shot and killed 20-year old Daunte Wright at a traffic stop. A few days later, authorities released video showing a police officer shooting and killing 13-year old Adam Toledo in Chicago. And as the verdict was being read yesterday afternoon, a police officer shot and killed 15-year old Ma'Khia Bryant in Columbus, Ohio.

Real justice would mean living in a world where George Floyd is still able to embrace his young daughter, where we as a country don't allow police to systematically kill Black and brown children, and where people like Derek Chauvin never had the power to harm others in the first place.

The Working Families Party and our members are actively working towards a world where police and prisons don't exist. In such a world, we would invest in the promise of Black children by building strong, safe communities for them to thrive instead of cages and weapons to control them.

This type of systemic and transformational change does not come quickly. But that is the vision we are working toward every day, and I am so grateful to have you with us in this fight.

Last May, days after the murder of George Floyd, I shared these thoughts with the WFP family. I find them just as relevant today:

Remember that this is a long arc. The fight for a more just and equitable world covers centuries. The struggle for Black freedom spans generations. This work is our inheritance. You don't have to watch every video, or any video. You don't have to follow each breaking headline. Take time away to connect with loved ones or do things that bring you joy — that too is a form of resistance. We'll be here, ready to do the hard and necessary organizing, when you get back.

In solidarity, always,

Maurice Mitchell
National Director
Working Families Party

P.S. The only reason we saw any accountability yesterday was because of the ongoing, inspirational work of Black-led organizers on the ground. We're sharing this list created by activists on the ground — please consider a donation to one of these groups who are organizing and providing direct support to communities in Minnesota.

Sources:

1. Protests spread over police shootings. Police promised reforms. Every year, they still shoot and kill nearly 1,000 people., The Washington Post, June 8, 2020.
2. Why it's rare for police officers to be convicted of murder, CNN, April 21, 2021.

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