A guilty verdict for Derek Chauvin is not justice...

“Portrait of a Hero, Darnella Frazier” painted by Rebecca Lazinger

We would like to begin by acknowledging the verdict today of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, whose murder of George Floyd was witnessed by millions around the world.

Justice was not served today - justice would be George Floyd still breathing. Justice would mean Gianna Floyd still had a father. We do not celebrate the bare minimum of accountability - but we are grateful for what could be the start to true police abolition. We want to thank all of the youth who stood up for George Perry Floyd Jr., including Darnella Frazier and her 9 year old cousin, whose recording went viral. These two also underwent the difficult process of providing testimony; their lives will be forever changed. 

The terror of witnessing this horror reminds us to support one another as we seek support in processing our feelings and experiences. This has not been easy for any of the thousands who have used their platforms to promote social change while upholding the lives and value of Black Americans. We appreciate your efforts and they are not in vain.

Let this be a motivational reminder that we must continue to fight for those whose lives have been stolen by police violence.

We would like to thank St. Mary’s Academy and their Black Student Union for having us participate in their online panel earlier this month. We are always honored to be a part of these discussions and connect with students! We are also grateful to the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education for having us on their virtual summit, ‘Inspiring Change’, alongside March for Our Lives and Portland Youth Climate Strike.

Last but certainly not least, we would like to invite you to tune in for an incredible online webinar featuring Don’t Shoot Portland and several other incredible speakers. Archiving the Black Web is led in partnership with Shift Collective, the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Spelman College Archives and many others. This will be very important programming for anyone wanting to learn more about equitable web archiving practices, Black digital culture and more. You can register for this webinar here.

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