THEY’LL GO AGAIN TOMORROW.
THE WHOLE COUNTRY WAITING ON
THAT VERDICT FOR LOTS AND LOTS
OF REASONS.
JOINING US NOW, A PROFESSOR OF
AFRICAN-AMERICAN STUDIES AT YALE.
THE CO-FOUNDER OF THE CENTER FOR
POLICINGEING EQUITY.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
>> THANKS FOR HAVING ME.
>> WE’RE ON TENTERHOOKS WAITING
FOR THIS VERDICT.
BEFORE WE GET IT, I WONDER IF
YOU THINK THIS HAS BEEN AN
EDUCATIONAL, CATHARTIC, OR WHAT
KIND OF EXPERIENCE FOR THE
COUNTRY?
>> IT’S NOT THE FIRST TRIAL
WE’VE HAD IN THE UNITED STATES.
LOOKING AT THE TRIAL OF THE
POLICE OFFICERS WHO BEAT RODNEY
KING. AND WE’VE HAD TRIALS OF OTHER
AND WE’VE HAD TRIALS OF OTHER
FOLKS WHO HAVE BEEN DEMONSTRABLY
GUILTY.
BUT I DON’T KNOW IF THERE’S AN
INFLECTION POINT UNLESS WE FIND
HIM GUILTY.
THERE’S SO MUCH GOING ON.
THERE’S THE FALL OF THE U.S.
STATURE ON THE INTERNATIONAL
STAGE.
THERE’S OUR INFRASTRUCTURE
CRIMABLE
CRUMBLING.
THERE’S OUR JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
THAT NEEDS TO BE PUT BACK
TOGETHER.
BUT THE REASON WHY THERE IS THIS
SHADOW LOOMING OVER THIS TRIAL,
EVERY PIECE THAT NEEDS TO BE
MADE WHOLE, IT WAS ONCE OKAY.
IT WAS ONCE SOMETHING THAT
PEOPLE COULD BE PROUD OF, IT WAS
THE ENVY OF THE ENTIRE WORLD.
BUT NOT RACISM.
WE’VE NEVER GOTTEN THAT RIGHT.
IF WE HAVE AN OBLIGATION ALL TO
ONE ANOTHER, MAYBE WE CAN DO
THAT ON OUR ROADS AND BRIDGES,
AND MAYBE IN THE JUSTICE
DEPARTMENT, IN OUR FOREIGN
POLICY.
BUT THE ONE THING WE CAN’T HAVE
IN A HISTORICAL CONTEXT, THE
ONLY TIME WE EVER GOT RACISM
RIGHT.
PART OF THE REASON IT FEELS
DIFFERENT IS THAT WE’RE HOPING
THIS TIME IS DIFFERENT.
>> HEARING ATTORNEY GENERAL
GARLAND TODAY TALK ABOUT, WHILE
HE WAS HAVING AN EMOTIONAL
MOMENT, THINKING ABOUT HIS
FAMILY’S OWN HISTORY IN THE
UNITED STATES, SAYING IN
AMERICA, WE HAVE TO PROTECT EACH
OTHER.
WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ALL
ARE PROTECTED.
THAT WAS THE REASON I WANTED TO
PLAY THAT SOUND.
IS THAT IT JUST UNDID ME.
THINKING, SEEING THAT LENS AND
SEEING THAT VALUE BEING
ARTICULATED BY THE NATION’S
CHIEF LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER.
AFTER I JUST LISTENED TO THE
FIRST POLICY SPEECH FROM OUR
FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN NATIONAL
OFFICEHOLDER TODAY, AND SEEING
THROUGH THAT LENS INTO THE WAY
THAT ALL THOSE BYSTANDERS FELT
SO HOPELESS, AND THE WAY THAT
PEOPLE WATCHING THIS TRIAL AND
WATCHING THESE JURY
DELIBERATIONS AND WAITING FOR
THE VERDICT TODAY FEEL IMPOTENT,
AND HOPELESS, FEEL CYNICAL AND
THAT THERE’S NOTHING THAT CAN BE
DONE, BECAUSE WE CAN’T IMAGINE
THIS WORKING.
IT’S THE THING WE NEED TO INVENT
HERE IS HOPE THAT IT COULD GET
BETTER.
>> THAT’S WHY WE’RE SITTING HERE
WAITING ON IT.
ON ONE LEVEL, IT’S ABSURD TO
HAVE TO WAIT.
I UNDERSTAND THAT THE CHARGE IS
MURDER.
BUT WHAT WE WITNESSED WAS A
LYNCHING.
IT WAS A PUBLIC MESSAGE TO
PEOPLE THAT WHAT OFFICER CHAUVIN
WAS DOING WAS OKAY, AND YOU
MIGHT BE NEXT.
SO PART OF WHY WE’RE SITTING
HERE IS BECAUSE OF THE ABSURDITY
THAT THERE IS ANY SUSPENSE ABOUT
IT.
WE ALL WATCHED IT.
BUT THE OTHER PART IS, THERE’S
NO WAY TO GET JUSTICE FOR GEORGE
FLOYD.
AND THERE’S NO WAY TO GET REMEDY
FOR THE CHILDREN WHO SAID, YES,
THIS IS WHAT I SAW, AND THE
PERSON IN POWER COULD NOT GET UP
OFF OF A MAN’S NECK.
THERE WILL BE NO REMEDY FOR
ANYBODY.
THERE MIGHT BE A MEASURE OF
ACCOUNTABILITY, AND THE FACT
THAT THAT MIGHT FEEL LIKE
SOMETHING NEW IS AN INDICTMENT.
AND THE HOPE IS, ON THE OTHER
SIDE OF SOMETHING LIKE SENSE IN
THIS PARTICULAR COURT CASE, THAT
WE’LL DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT FOR
THE FIRST TIME ON RACISM AND
PUNISHMENT IN THIS COUNTRY.
FOR THE FIRST TIME, I CAN’T
OVERSTATE IT.
BECAUSE IN ALL OF OUR HISTORY,
WE’RE LOOKING FOR THE EXAMPLE
THAT MAKES THIS RIGHT.
THE PLACE WE CAN GET BACK TO.