Public Statement 4/7/21

Living Through and Beyond the Derek Chauvin Trial

As testimony continues in the trial of Derek Chauvin, the Minnesota police officer who murdered George Floyd last year, we stand in solidarity with the family of George Floyd and all who seek justice for state violence committed against Black lives. George Floyd, his family, his community—and ours—all deserve so much more than the tragedy and loss brought by Derek Chauvin’s actions. They deserve justice.

While we demand justice in the form of Derek Chauvin’s conviction, we recognize that Chauvin’s actions are not the sole cause of George Floyd’s death. The other officers at the scene, the city, and American policing policies are also complicit. The murder of George Floyd was not an individual act of racism but a manifestation of systemic racism at the individual level.

We encourage our Black patients, staff, and community members to do what you need to take care of yourselves throughout this trial. And we remind our white staff and community members to keep in mind that witnessing repeated violence against Black people, the ongoing news coverage, and the coverage of this trial are traumatizing to BIPOC people, especially when we continue to see so many of these trials end in acquittal.