George Floyd, left, and Bridgett Floyd.Photo: Marie D. De Jesus
One year after ex-Minneapolis police officerDerek Chauvin’s convictionfor murdering her brother in an act that sparked a national reckoning on racial justice and police brutality,George Floyd’s sister is reflecting on his impact.
Chauvin, 45, was found guilty of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and manslaughter, andsentencedto 22 and a half years in prison. Last December he alsopleaded guilty to a separate federal chargeof violating Floyd’s civil rights.
Derek Chauvin in court June 25, 2021, at his sentencing.ALEX LEDERMAN/AFP via Getty
“Over the past year, the George Floyd Memorial Foundation has provided more than $50,000 in scholarships to deserving college and law school students, established an internship program with Texas A&M-Commerce’s African-American Male Mentorship Program, hosted George Floyd Volunteerism Week in which thousands of people around the country worked to make their communities better and safer places and supported other families who have suffered similar tragedies at the hands of law enforcement,” she says.
“According to research, police killings of Black people in the United States leads to more than 50 million additional days of poor mental health per year among Black Americans,” she says.
Going forward, the foundation has partnered with University of Cincinnati psychologistCalisha Brookson a program focused on the mental health of Black Americans, with plans to offer training grants to Black men and women seeking therapy “as well as providing support to train culturally competent mental health providers.”
A memorial near the scene of George Floyd’s murder in Minneapolis.KEREM YUCEL/AFP via Getty
“Our ultimate goal at the George Floyd Memorial Foundation,” says Bridgett, “is to help make our world a better place, one day at a time.”
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Floyd, 46, was killed May 25, 2020, during his detention for allegedly using a counterfeit $20 bill at a corner convenience store.
Chauvin was fired a day after the murder.
President Joe Bidencalled Chauvin’s murder conviction “a giant step forward in the march towards justice in America,” andmet with members of Floyd’s family at the White Houseafter the verdict.
From left, former Minneapolis police officers J. Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane and Tou Thao.AP/Shutterstock
Three other former officers with Chauvin at the scene of Floyd’s murder — J. Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane and Tou Thao — were convicted in February on federal charges of violating Floyd’s civil rights. Afederal indictmentaccused each of deliberate indifference to his medical needs and failing to provide aid as Chauvin, the senior officer on the scene, fatally pressed his knee into Floyd’s neck while they watched. They all testified on their own behalf to say they were trusting Chauvin’s lead.
Kueng and Thao each faced an additional federal charge of failing to intervene as Chauvin harmed Floyd, on which they were also found guilty.
Kueng, Lane and Thao all still await a trial on state charges for aiding and abetting murder and manslaughter in Floyd’s case. All have pleaded not guilty to those charges.
source: people.com
