Mayor de Blasio, First Lady McCray Release Statements on Guilty Verdict in Chauvin Trial

April 20, 2021

NEW YORK—Mayor Bill de Blasio and First Lady Chirlane McCray today released statements on the guilty verdict in the Derek Chauvin trial:

“In June we watched in horror as Derek Chauvin took the life of George Floyd. The reality of racism in this nation finally hit a boiling point, the pain of more than 400 years of injustice. Today, justice was served. Make no mistake, today’s verdict is not the end. This is the beginning, as we continue to create real reforms in policing and make a safer country for all Americans. I urge peace and calm tonight as we begin the work of achieving further progress,” Mayor de Blasio tweeted.

“Justice prevailed today with the guilty verdicts in the Derek Chauvin case. Chauvin’s actions sullied an entire profession and enraged people of good will around the world. Chauvin’s knee on George Floyd’s neck was a horrifyingly apt metaphor for racial oppression. This is only the beginning of our country’s reckoning with systemic racism. This trial is more than the judgement of Derek Chauvin and only one fight in a long, long battle against inequity and injustice. Our humanity was never on trial. Black Lives Matter. They mattered yesterday. They matter today. They will matter tomorrow,” said First Lady McCray.