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One step toward justice: April 21, 2021
Yesterday, after a three-week trial, the judicial process confirmed what we all witnessed on May 25, 2020. Derek Chauvin, charged with second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter, was found unanimously guilty on all three counts.
Nearly one year ago, George Floyd lost his life at the hands of the police, killed in broad daylight, in front of bystanders, during an attempted arrest for passing a counterfeit $20 bill. His murder galvanized a movement like no other, as people came together and called for justice in communities and workplaces across the nation and around the world.
This past year has been challenging, as we watched weeks turn into months, waiting anxiously for due process to unfold. Yesterday, after a three-week trial, the judicial process confirmed what we all witnessed on May 25, 2020. Derek Chauvin, charged with second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter, was found unanimously guilty on all three counts. In this history-making verdict, we hope George Floyd's family can find some measure of peace.
Martin Luther King, Jr., said, "We cannot understand the moral Universe. The arc is a long one, and our eyes reach but a little way; we cannot calculate the curve and complete the figure by the experience of sight; but we can divine it by conscience, and we surely know that it bends toward justice." I believe we saw the moral universe bend in the right direction yesterday. A single verdict represents but a step toward real progress, but it was a vital step. Now the work continues. We must continue to move with deliberate fortitude toward ending racism and bolstering equality for all.
Citizen artistry serves as a powerful current through our community. Through dialogue, reflection, and exchange, the arts can shift perspective, create empathy, and change the world. I am proud to be part of our Interlochen community, as I know the work we do here, to grow, to support one another, and to advance our ideals, truly will make a positive impact on the world—today and long into the future.
Sincerely,
Trey Devey
