CWS on the Conviction of Derek Chauvin in the Murder of George Floyd


April 20, 2021

Washington, D.C.— In response to today’s verdict in the Derek Chauvin trial, the officer convicted of the murder of George Floyd, Revered Reuben Eckels, Domestic Policy Advocate at Church World Service, issued the following statement:

George Floyd was a son, a brother, and a father, we mourn for him and with his family and pray that this verdict provides the justice they and their community desperately need.  

Today’s verdict has the potential to be a pivotal moment in the history of racial justice in America. We as a nation have become all too inured to the deaths of our fellow citizens at the hands of those sworn to protect our communities. For people of color and our allies, we watched the trial of Derek Chauvin with unease, fearing that this would be yet another example of justice denied to a black man. This anxiety is sadly not isolated to this trial, it is part of what it is to be a person of color in the United States. 

One verdict does not change an entire system or culture, but it provides a sense of accountability that we as a nation must endeavor to reproduce if we are to ever truly achieve racial justice.

As scripture tells us, ‘He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?’ Micah 6:8  This verdict can go a long way in America finally doing justice.”

As part of Church World Service’s Platform on Racial Justice, the organization is calling for action. There could be no better time to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act as we address community needs that are currently treated as law enforcement issues would be better served with increased funding for mental health response teams, public education and after-school programming, nutrition and well-being support, health care services, workforce development programs, violence prevention and intervention programs, and education and training for civilians on bystander intervention.

For more information CWS’s Platform on Racial Justice, visit CWSGlobal.org