Like many of you, I’m still thinking through not just the death of George Floyd but also the whirlwind of the trial of Derek Chauvin. Yesterday on NPR, while waiting for the verdict, several reporters were asked what stood out most to them about the trial. One focused on the testimony of the physician. Another spoke of the testimonies of the eyewitnesses. Still another talked about the police officers who spoke out against Derek Chauvin’s actions. A fourth talked about the deaths of Daunte Wright and so many others during these last months. I’ve been thinking about the courage of Darnella Frazier, the young woman who recorded close to 10 minutes of Derek Chauvin’s knee on George Floyd’s neck and whose video was featured prominently by the prosecution.
But maybe what stood out most to me is that, even with the overwhelming amount of evidence that pointed to a guilty verdict, so many of us had deep concerns that there would be no accountability or justice. Those concerns extend far beyond the 9 minutes and 29 seconds that woke up so many people last year. Those concerns grow out of what is becoming a universal recognition of the systems that have created and perpetuated deep inequities in our country.
When I heard the verdict yesterday, I felt hope.
I also felt grateful that so many people, many of whom have experienced inequities and injustices that I will never know, also felt hope.
That verdict was just a first step. Each of us, in whatever spheres of influence we have, need to look thoughtfully at ourselves, our family and friends, neighborhoods, communities, state, and country, and think about how we can be aware of, and address, systemic racism. Hope requires action.
We must work together in doing the same at Virginia Wesleyan University. I’m grateful for the surveys that our students have filled out this last month, and I’m glad that faculty and staff will be doing so as well. The input from those surveys and recommendations from LACRELA will create starting points for deeper conversations on issues relating to systemic racism. In the coming months, I look forward to sharing opportunities for those conversations. I hope that you will be part of them.
