The Verdict 
On May 25th, 2020, former police officer Derek Chauvin pressed his knee into George Floyd’s neck until Floyd’s final breath was taken. A teenage girl who was a witness to the horrific killing, showed that Chauvin was kneeling on the neck of Floyd, for nine minutes and twenty-nine seconds as Floyd pleaded for his life and bystanders tried to intervene. Floyd repeated, “I can’t breathe,” more than twenty times during the brutal encounter. The video, which was played by many over the past year, brought about a huge and powerful movement. It stirred millions of people around the world to gather for mass protests, chanting “Black lives matter” and challenging the country to finally bring justice to the lives lost to police brutality and the racism embedded within our policing system. Derek Chauvin was found guilty of George Floyd’s murder on April 20th, 2021. Chauvin has been convicted on all charges in the death of George Floyd. Chauvin faces up to forty years in prison for second-degree murder, up to twenty-five years for third-degree murder, and up to ten years for second-degree manslaughter. President Biden spoke about the verdict in a nationwide address at the White House and called it a “too rare” step to deliver “basic accountability” for Black Americans.  

The Reaction
Millions of people all around the world gathered around their televisions, watching the trial and anxiously waiting for the verdict. After the verdict was announced, many took to social media to share their relief and satisfaction. While many felt like justice for Floyd had been served, others shared that this is a small step along the path to fighting systemic racism within our country. In an interview with Don Lemon for CNN, Floyd’s brother Philonise Floyd alongside the Floyd family attorney, Benjamin Crump, shared his feelings about the verdict candidly. Philonise Floyd said the guilty verdict in the trial was ‘so much of a relief’ after spending many nights awake and concerned about the outcome of the case. He shared that, "Justice for George, it means freedom for all. The world has sparked and lit up with a blaze tonight. And it's a celebration. Business can be taken care of tomorrow, but it's a celebration today." In a CNN poll conducted by the SSRS, more than three-quarters of Americans say they are satisfied with the guilty verdict in the trial and only sixteen percent are not satisfied with the outcome. Additionally, the poll showed that fifty-three percent of Americans believe that policing in America today needs major changes or a complete overhaul. In contrast, fourteen percent say policing works pretty well as it is working now and thirty-two percent say it needs minor changes. Among the Black Americans who participated in the poll, eighty-two percent say policing needs major changes or a complete overhaul.