A Prince George advocacy group is grateful for a monumental court decision that took place this week, but believes it's only one step in the greater cause.
Prince George 4 Black Lives Matter, known as PG4BLM for short, has reflected on the verdict that found former police officer Derek Chauvin guilty on all charges related to the murder of George Floyd on May 25, 2020.
While it brought a sense of relief the world over, PG4BLM hopes it can serve as a foundation for further addressing issues of systemic racism and oppression, believing it's the root cause of unaccountability among police.
"We are hoping that the sentencing will carry the same message that human life is valuable and indispensable," says group co-founder Maria Mkango to PrinceGeorgeMatters.
"The verdict has been a validation for everyone who cares about humanity and is against oppression. We cannot say we care about humanity when police kill Black people at an alarming rate, and the police are not held accountable."
In Minnesota court on Tuesday (April 20), Chauvin was found guilty on three charges in a verdict by a 12-person jury, including second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.
The 45-year-old's bail was immediately revoked and he was led away with his hands cuffed behind his back.
He could spend the next several decades in prison with his official sentencing scheduled in roughly two months.
Chauvin pinned Floyd to the pavement with his knee on the Black man’s neck for nine minutes and 29 seconds, which sparked worldwide protests, violence and a furious reexamination of racism and policing.
Mkango believes the verdict portrayed Black people as human beings, that their lives matter and 'no one is above the law.'
"Police make an integral part of society, but when they abuse the trust that has been bestowed on them, we are shown they will not be above the law," she adds.
"True justice would have been having George Floyd and every victim of a police killing alive, but that is not possible."
In June 2020, hundreds upon hundreds of Prince George residents took to the streets twice in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, one through downtown and one at Mr. PG.
PG4BLM helped organize the rallies alongside prominent figures in the northern capital.
- with a file from The Associated Press
