‘Black Voices’ Community Conversation: Chauvin Trial Verdict

Former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin was convicted of murder and manslaughter last week for the killing George Floyd. 

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This verdict came roughly 11 months after Chauvin kneeled on Floyd’s neck for more than 9 minutes. The video of Floyd’s killing circulated on social media and led to protests and demonstrations in Minneapolis and across the country over the summer. 

On Monday, “Chicago Tonight: Black Voices” host and “Chicago Tonight” co-host Brandis Friedman moderated a community conversation about the Chauvin verdict, including what it means for racial justice and policing in Chicago and the U.S. 

Friedman was joined by Amika Tendaji, executive director of Black Lives Matter Chicago; Ja’Mal Green, a community strategist and founder of Majostee AllStars; Richard Wooten, founder of Gathering Point Community Council and a retired Chicago police officer; Glen Brooks, director of public engagement for the Chicago Police Department; and David Stovall, a professor of African American studies and criminology, law and justice at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

During the conversation, our panel members discussed their reactions to the verdict, how watching the trial impacted them, and what the conviction means as the country faces other cases of police killing Black and brown residents, such as that of Daunte Wright in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, Ma’Khia Bryant in Columbus and Adam Toledo in Chicago.


Upcoming event

The “Chicago Tonight: Voices” May community conversation is set for Monday, May 24 at 8 p.m. A year after the killing of George Floyd, the conversation will check in with community leaders in Chicago about the path forward. Visit WTTW.com/events to RSVP. 


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