MadameNoire
Source: Jason Armond / Getty
Moments after the guilty verdict was handed down to Derek Chauvin in the 2020 murder of George Floyd, “Thank you God” began trending on Twitter. The majority of the tweets were people expressing their relief that Chauvin is expected to be held fully accountable for his murderous actions after previous letdowns by the justice system.
The jury found Chauvin guilty of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder, and manslaughter after hearing nearly two weeks of testimony that detailed how Chauvin’s positioning on Floyd’s back caused him to suffocate. Although the defense attempted to piece together a lackluster argument through which they attempted to blame Floyd’s death on underlying health conditions and drug use, justice was ultimately served.
The trending topic is nothing more than a collective sigh of relief released by a nation that is fed up with the manner in which white supremacy is allowed to run rampantly throughout the institutions in which we are expected to place our trust. And while we are relieved that justice has been somewhat served in the death of Floyd, we can never forget the countless Black men and women who were senselessly murdered by police officers who were never held accountable.
The family of Breonna Taylor, who was senselessly killed during a botched raid of her home by officers that were never held accountable, is also rejoicing at the news of the verdict.
“THANK YOU GOD!” Taylor’s sister, Juniyah Palmer, tweeted. “FINALLY JUSTICE FOR George Floyd.”
“We up next! Justice for Breonna,” she added.
As for Floyd’s family, reactions to the verdict were emotional.
We have to continue doing the work until the senseless killings of Black men and women by police comes to an end, but as many other tweeters have already shared, it’s a step in the right direction.
