Contact: Adam Bingman, adam.bingman@sierraclub.org
Minneapolis, MN -- Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune and Kamau Wilkins, Chair of the Sierra Club’s Minnesota North Star Chapter, issued a statement following the announcement that Derek Chauvin, the former police officer who murdered George Floyd, has been found guilty of second degree murder, the first time in Minnesota a white police officer has been convicted of murdering a Black man.
“George Floyd should be alive. We remember George Floyd and how his life mattered and the conviction of Derek Chauvin, made possible because of the recording of a bystander, is a small step towards accountability. But it is not justice. This is momentary. During the verdict announcement, sixteen-year-old Ma’Khia Bryant was brutally murdered by police in Columbus, OH, reinforcing why our fight for justice can’t stop here, as our nation mourns another Black life taken by police.
"Justice requires long term structural change to extract the racism embedded into every aspect of this country and truly upend these systems of hate. Justice requires reimagining community safety, safety for all of us, and demanding a massive shift in the design and objectives of our criminal justice system. Justice requires stopping racist, state-sanctioned violence against Black and Brown individuals and communities so we can create sustainable and resilient communities where we can all live and breathe safely.
"The structures of oppression and white supremacy are set up to prevent us from joining in solidarity with each other -- to exhaust, divide, and frighten us. But we will not be stopped. We will continue to work together with our partners to create communities where everyone can thrive, with clean air, water, energy, and a stable and safe climate for all.”
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3.5 million members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.