THEY ARE DOING IT.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, WE GO
TO GOVERNOR TIM WALZ WHO HAS
COMMENTS TO MAKE AFTER THE
VERDICT THAT CAME DOWN FROM THE
DEREK CHAUVIN TRIAL.
GOOD EVENING TO THOSE TUNING
AND ACROSS UNITED STATES. I AM
TIM WALZ AND I HAVE THE
PRIVILEGE OF BEING THE GOVERNOR
OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA.
I WILL BE JOINED AT THE PODIUM
WITH MELVIN CARTER, THE MAYOR
ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA. I WILL ALSO
BE JOINED BY JOHN HARRINGTON,
THE COMMISSIONER OF THE
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY.
LAST MAY 25th, THE WORLD
WATCHED IN HORROR AS GEORGE
FLOYD'S LIFE AND HUMANITY WERE
TAKEN FROM HIM BY A KNEE IN THE
NECK.
THE PAIN AND ANGUISH OF THE
FAMILY WAS BARE TO THE WORLD AS
AND OBVIOUS FAILURES.
ESPECIALLY WHEN IT CAME TO RACE
AND POLICING.
A SHORT TIME AGO, THAT POLICE
OFFICER, DEREK CHAUVIN, WAS
FOUND GUILTY OF THE MURDER OF
GEORGE FLOYD AND WAS TAKEN AWAY
. SENTENCING WILL SOON FOLLOW.
IT'S AN IMPORTANT STEP TOWARDS
JUSTICE FOR MINNESOTA.
THE TRIAL IS OVER, BUT HERE IN
MINNESOTA, I WANT TO BE VERY
CLEAR THAT WE KNOW OUR WORK
JUST BEGINS. THIS IS THE FLOOR
AND NOT THE CEILING OF WHERE WE
NEED TO GET TO.
I WANT TO TAKE A FEW MOMENTS TO
THANK THE FOLKS INVOLVED IN
THIS TRAUMA THAT HAS SPREAD
FROM 38th IN CHICAGO ACROSS OUR
STATE AND ACROSS THE COUNTRY IN
THE WORLD.
I WOULD LIKE TO THANK MY FRIEND
KEITH ELLISON, THE MINNESOTA
DISTRICT ATTORNEY.
HE MADE US BELIEVE FOR TODAY,
WE NEED TO HOLD THE THOUGHT,
THAT JUSTICE IS POSSIBLE.
THAT TEAM WITH STEVE AND JERRY,
MINNESOTA ATTORNEYS WHO PRO
BONO CHOSE TO STEP UP AND MAKE
SURE THAT THE STATE'S CASE
WOULD HOLD, THEY MAKE US PROUD.
THEIR HUMANITY, THEIR
INTELLIGENCE AND THEIR BELIEF
THAT JUSTICE WOULD BE SERVED
INSPIRED ALL OF US OVER THESE
PAST TWO DIFFICULT WEEKS.
I WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE
JURORS WHO FELT AN INCREDIBLE
BURDEN TO DO THE RIGHT THING TO
HAVE JUSTICE BE SERVED WITHOUT
BEING INFLUENCED BY ANYTHING
ELSE. THEY DID A SERVICE THAT
HOLDS A HEART IN OUR DEMOCRACY
AND OUR JUDICIAL SYSTEM AND
THEY DID IT.
I THINK THEY DID IT FOR ALL OF
US IN A WAY THAT HAD US ALL
HOLDING OUR BREATH WITH THE
BELIEF THAT IT COULD WORK.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO THANK THOSE
WHO TESTIFIED.
BUT IT IS THERE AND WE KNOW IT
AND WE SAW IT ON DISPLAY. I
LIKE TO THINK THE OTHERS WHO
STOOD ON THE STREET CORNER AND
AS JERRY BLACKWELL SAID SHOWED
HUMANITY. A BEAUTIFUL
MULTICULTURAL SOCIETY THAT WE
HAVE HERE IN MINNEAPOLIS AND IN
MINNESOTA. THEY WERE SUBJECTED
TO SOMETHING NO ONE SHOULD HAVE
TO SEE.
THEY HAD THE COURAGE TO STAY
AND TO RECORD WHAT THEY SAW AND
THEN BRING FORWARD THAT PAIN
AGAIN AND AGAIN TO THEM TO MAKE
SURE GEORGE FLOYD RECEIVED
JUSTICE.
THOUSANDS VERSED IN THE STREET,
INSPIRING A MOVEMENT ACROSS OUR
NATION IN THE WORLD. MANY
PEOPLE DO NOT KNOW GEORGE FLOYD
, THEY WENT DAY AFTER DAY AND
KEPT THAT PLACE SACRED ALL WITH
THE INTENT TO MAKE SURE THAT
JUSTICE WILL BE SERVED.
A YEAR LATER BEHIND BARS FACING
YEARS IN PRISON IS DEREK
CHAUVIN BETWEEN ACCOUNTABILITY
IN THE COURTROOM IS ONLY THE
FIRST STEP.
TO THE FLOYD FAMILY, TODAY IS A
SMALL MEASURE.
BROTHER, A FRIEND. WE PROMISE
THE PURSUIT WILL CONTINUE FOR
GENESIS.
THIS IS JUST ONE STEP TOWARD
JUSTICE.
TRUE JUSTICE FOR GEORGE FLOYD
WILL COME THROUGH REAL SYSTEMIC
CHANGE.
WHEN EVERY MEMBER OF OUR
COMMUNITY NO MATTER THEIR RACE,
RELIGION, OR BACKGROUND IS SAFE
AND PROTECTED.
THE DEATH LAST WEEK OF DAUNTE
WRIGHT SHOWED THE WORK WE HAVE
TO DO.
THE SMALL STEP OUR IT INSPIRES
US TO DO THE WORK.
FOR THOSE OF YOU LISTENING WHO
ARE NOT FROM MINNESOTA,
MINNESOTA IS AN EXCEPTIONAL
PLACE WITH AN EXCEPTIONAL
PEOPLE.
WE ARE OFTEN LIFTED UP AS A
MODEL OF WELL-BEING BUT WE HAVE
TO ENSURE THIS IS TRUE OF
EVERYONE.
MEASURES OF HAPPINESS AND
ECONOMIC SECURITY. EVEN DURING
COVID-19 WE WERE RECOGNIZED AS
THE BEST STATE IN THE NATION.
IF YOU BREAK THAT DATA APART,
THE TRUTH BECOMES APPARENT.
THOSE STATISTICS ARE TRUE IF
YOU ARE WHITE AND NOT IF YOU
ARE BLACK BUT IT IS EXACTLY THE
OPPOSITE.
AND THIS WILL BRING WITH YOU SO
38 AND CHICAGO AND WOULD HAVE
SAID AND IT IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH
TO BE FIRST IN EDUCATION FOR
WHITE CHILDREN.
AND IT IS ONLY TRUE IF YOU ARE
WHITE FOR THE HEALTH OUTCOMES.
NOT ONLY IS IS NOT SUSTAINABLE
FOR COMMUNITIES OF COLOR BUT
FOR ANY SOCIETY TO HAVE THOSE
TYPES OF INEQUITY.
AND IT IS TO MAKE SURE MINNESOTA
IS THE BEST IN THE COUNTRY.
AND YOU SAW WHAT HAPPENS WHEN
YOUR VOICES LIFTED UP. YOU HAVE
THE PLEDGE OF OUR ADMINISTRATION
TO DO WHAT WE CAN TO PUT THEY
PRODUCE OF LIFTING UP EQUITY
STARTING WITH REAL REFORMS AND
TO EXTEND TO EDUCATIONAL
OPPORTUNITIES, HOME OWNERSHIP,
AND ALL OF THE THINGS THAT MAKE
THIS STATE THE BEST PLACE TO
LIVE.
WE NEED TO TAKE AWAY THAT
QUALIFIER. IT NEEDS TO BE THE
BEST PLACE EVER.
THE DEATH OF GEORGE FLOYD AND
THE JUSTICE SYSTEM CONVICTION
OF THAT MURDER GIVES US THE
POLICE TO BELIEVE THAT WE CAN
MAKE THE DIFFERENCE.
COMMUNITIES OF COLOR WILL NOT
GO ON LIKE THIS. WEIGHT
COMMUNITIES IN ARISTIDE CANNOT
GO ON LIKE THIS.
THE ONLY WAY FORWARD IS THROUGH
SYSTEMIC CHANGE.
WE WILL BE TOLD THERE IS NOT
ENOUGH TIME AND IT IS
DIFFICULT.
FOR THOSE LISTENING ACROSS
AMERICA, IT IS THE ONLY PLACE
IN THE COUNTRY WHERE ONE HOUSE
IS CONTROLLED BY THE DEMOCRATS
AND THE OTHER HOUSE THE
REPUBLICANS GIVING US THE
OPPORTUNITY TO SHOW THAT EQUITY
AND DECENCY SHOULD NOT HAVE A
POLITICAL BOUNDARY WE WILL ASK
CONVERSATIONS AND FOR MANY OF
YOU AMONGST THEIR OWN FAMILY.
THOSE OF US OF A CERTAIN AGE IF
YOU ARE WHITE IT IS EASY TO
BELIEVE WHAT IS THE PROBLEM?
THINGS WORK WELL.
YOU CAN BUY A HOUSE.
WHY CANNOT EVERYBODY DO THIS?
IT IS TIME TO HAVE THIS
CONVERSATION WITH YOUR
RELATIVES THAT WE CANNOT
CONTINUE THE WAY IT HAS BEEN
GOING. THERE IS PLENTY TO GO
AROUND.
WE NEED TO APPLY IT AND MAKE
THAT COMMITMENT AND WE HAVE TO
REBUILD AND REIMAGINE THE
RELATIONSHIP WITH THE
COMMUNITIES THEY SERVE AND
TACKLE RACIAL INEQUITIES IN
EVERY CORNER OF OUR SOCIETY AND
WE HAVE TO DO IT FINDING THAT
COMMON HUMANITY.
I KNOW THAT THE PEOPLE OF
GOODWILL KNOW THAT WHAT YOU SAW
TODAY NEEDS TO BE A PIVOTAL
MOMENT IN RACE AND EQUITY AND
DECENCY ACROSS THIS COUNTRY.
WE ARE NOT TO GET ANOTHER
CHANCE TO DO THIS.
THIS IS OUR MOMENT FOR THOSE OF
YOU WHO HAVE SEEN MINNESOTA, MY