Friend,

This week, and every day for the past 11 months, we have been thinking of George Floyd and his family, his brother Philonise, his girlfriend Courteney, and his daughter Gianna. May God bless them and may this conviction offer them a measure of justice — and some measure of peace.

Twenty million people across the nation marched on behalf of George Floyd. We have all waited this long year for conviction and accountability.

Derek Chauvin acted with depraved indifference to George Floyd’s life. This verdict is a small bend in the arc toward justice. The nation needs healing — and this conviction is a critical first step.

But it’s just the beginning, and we have more work to do. America has been stained by systematic racism for too long — it is embedded in American history and our policies. It‘s past time to reform our criminal justice system and achieve true equality — including dismantling systems that trap millions of Americans in a cycle of poverty, oppression, and abuse.

Ours is the work that leads to justice and change — ensuring that Black Americans, people of color, and the poor in this country are given equitable and equal opportunities to be safe, educated, and to live without fear of violence.

I pledged an oath to do this work on behalf of our district and the country — and will continue to fight for social change, social justice.

Madeleine

P.S. If you would like to do more in the fight for racial justice, please consider giving to the Youth Sentencing and Reentry Project.