CHAUVIN IS BEING HELD.
PETE WILLIAMS AS WELL.
THANKS TO BOTH OF YOU.
>>> I WANT TO TURN IT TARA
BROWN, GEORGE FLOYD’S COUSIN.
SHE’S ALSO THE DIRECTOR OF THE
GEORGE FLOYD FOUNDATION.
GOOD MORNING TO YOU.
THANKS FOR YOUR TIME.
YOUR FAMILY HAS BEEN THROUGH SO
MUCH OVER THE LAST 11 MONTHS.
LET ME START WITH HOW YOU ARE
DOING THIS MORNING.
HOW ARE YOU FEELING?
>> I’M FEELING PRETTY GOOD THIS
MORNING.
IT’S JUST KIND OF LIKE A BURDEN
HAS BEEN LIFTED.
IT’S BEEN SUCH A BUILDUP GETTING
TO THIS POINT.
IT’S BEEN AQUITE A JOURNEY.
>> HOW SURPRISED WERE YOU --
MAYBE NOT SURPRISED ABOUT THE
VERDICT BUT THE SPEED WITH WHICH
THE VERDICT CAME DOWN AS WELL.
WERE YOU SURPRISED?
>> I WAS A LITTLE BIT SURPRISED. FOR ME, THE EVIDENCE WAS --
FOR ME, THE EVIDENCE WAS --
INAUDIBLE ]
I WAS HOPING THE JURY WOULD GET
IT.
WE PREDICTED AS A FAMILY -- WE
TALKED ABOUT IT AND WE THOUGHT,
THIS CAN’T TAKE VERY LONG.
WE THOUGHT BEFORE THE END OF THE
WEEK.
IT DID COME A LITTLE BIT EARLIER
THAN WE THOUGHT.
>> WE HEARD MANY TIMES TUESDAY
FROM ATTORNEY GENERAL ELLISON
HERE, MOST NOTABLY, THE GUILTY
VERDICT IS AN IMPORTANT STEP FOR
ACCOUNTABILITY, THAT IT
SHOULDN’T BE CONSIDERED JUSTICE
FOR YOUR FAMILY.
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT OF A DOJ
APPROPRIATE INTO THE MINNEAPOLIS
PLEASE
POLICE DEPARTMENT, DOES THAT
GIVE YOU HOPE?
WHAT DO YOU WANT TO SEE COME
FROM THIS?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
I THINK THAT ACCOUNTABILITY IS
DEFINITELY ANOTHER LAYER TO THE
JUSTICE THAT WE ARE TRYING TO
SEEK.
WE STARTED -- SINCE WE STARTED
THIS.
I THINK IT’S A GOOD THING.
IT’S ALWAYS A GOOD THING TO HAVE
QUALITY CHECKS.
THERE’S ALWAYS ROOM FOR
IMPROVEMENT.
I THINK IT’S A GOOD THING THAT
THIS IS A GOOD WAY TO START.
MAKING SURE THAT THE POLICIES
ARE WHAT THEY SHOULD BE.
THIS KIND OF BEHAVIOR IS NOT
TOLERATED.
I THINK I HEARD SOMEONE ELSE
SAYING, GOOD POLICE OFFICERS
DON’T WANT TO OPERATE IN A SPACE
WHERE THERE ARE P.M.EOPLE NOT DO
RIGHT THING.
I THINK IT’S AN AWESOME THING.
HOPEFULLY, IT WILL CATCH ON,
OTHER DEPARTMENTS WILL DO THE
SAME THING.
>> CAN YOU TELL FOLKS MORE ABOUT
THE WORK OF THE FOUNDATION THAT
YOU ARE RUNNING NOW, THE GEORGE
FLOYD FOUNDATION THAT WAS
STARTED SOME MONTHS AGO?
FOLKS WHO AREN’T FAMILIAR WITH
IT.
>> ONE OF OUR MAJOR COMMITMENTS
IS, WE ARE WORKING ON ADVOCACY
AND SOCIAL JUSTICE.
SO THAT IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR US
RIGHT NOW, ESPECIALLY SINCE WE
HAVE THE MOMENTUM THAT WE DO.
IT’S GOING -- WE’RE GOING TO
PUSH OUR EFFORTS TO GET THE
GEORGE FLOYD POLICING REFORM ACT
PASSED.
THERE IS A FEDERAL LEVEL.
BUT WE ARE ALSO WORKING AT THE
STATE LEVEL IN TEXAS WHERE WE
LIVE AND DID HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY
RECENTLY TO TESTIFY AT THE
HEARING ON THE STATE CAPITAL
ABOUT A MONTH AGO.
WE ARE GOING TO KEEP PUSHING OUR
EFFORTS TO MAKE SURE WE GET
THOSE -- THE BILL PASSED SO WE
CAN SEE THE ACTUAL CHANGE.
>> THE NAME DARNELLA FRAZIER HAS
COME UP A LOT SINCE SHE
TESTIFIED.
THE 17-YEAR-OLD -- THEN
17-YEAR-OLD, NOW 18.
THE YOUNG LADY WHO FILMED WHAT
WAS HAPPENING, WHO TOOK OUT HER
CELLPHONE SO THE ENTIRE WORLD
COULD BEAR WITNESS TO GEORGE
FLOYD’S MURDER.
DO YOU THINK WE WOULD HAVE
GOTTEN THAT VERDICT -- YOUR
FAMILY WOULD HAVE GOTTEN THAT
VERDICT IN ON TUESDAY HAD IT NOT
BEEN FOR HER?
>> ABSOLUTELY NOT.
SHE’S ONE OF OUR HEROES, FOR
SURE.
HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR THAT VIDEO
AND THIS PANDEMIC WHERE
EVERYBODY JUST HAPPENED TO BE IN
A SPACE WHERE THEY WERE
AVAILABLE TO SEE IT.
SHE IS DEFINITELY OUR HERO.
SHE WAS VERY BRAVE TO DO WHAT
SHE DID, ESPECIALLY AT 17 YEARS
OLD.
I HAVE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO
MEET HER.
SHE’S A VERY DARLING YOUNG LADY.
HONESTLY, SEEING HER ON THE
STAND, REALLY BROKE MY HEART.
BECAUSE SHE’S GOING TO BE
AFFECTED BY THIS FOR THE REST OF
HER LIFE.
THAT PART, YOU KNOW, REALLY TUGS
AT MY HEART.
BUT I’M SO PROUD OF HER BRAVERY
AND HER COURAGE.
SHE IS DEFINITELY ONE OF OUR
HEROES.
WE WOULDN’T BE HERE WITHOUT HER.
>> YOUR COUSIN’S MURDER LAUNCHED
ONE OF THE LARGEST SOCIAL
UPRISINGS THIS COUNTRY HAS SEEN.
HOW MUCH A DIFFERENCE DO YOU
THINK THOSE PROTESTS MADE LAST
SUMMER?
>> THE PROTESTS WERE VERY
IMPORTANT BECAUSE THEY OBVIOUSLY
BRING AWARENESS AND AWAKEN -- I
HAVE HAD PEOPLE SAY TO ME SINCE
THIS ALL STARTED THAT THERE WERE
TIMES BEFORE THIS THAT THEY DID
NOT GET IT.
BEING EXPOSED TO THE PROTESTS
AND -- IT JUST -- IT WAS ONE OF
THOSE THINGS THAT JUST KIND OF
PUSHED THIS MOVEMENT FORWARD.
YOU COULDN’T HELP BUT SEE IT.
FOLKS OUT THERE WERE SO
PASSIONATE AND WANTED TO HAVE
THEIR VOICES HEARD.
PEOPLE WERE FRUSTRATED.
THIS WAS THEIR WAY OF GETTING
THE ATTENTION THAT WE NEEDED.
WE ARE FOREVER GRATEFUL FOR ALL
OF THE PROTESTERS AND ACTIVISTS
THAT CAME OUT AND MADE THOSE
SACRIFICES FOR US.
THEY PUT THEIR LIVES ON THE LINE
DURING THIS PANDEMIC.
THEY WERE OUT AND IN LARGE
NUMBERS.
>> ARE YOU AT ALL CONCERNED THAT
NOW THAT THE GUILTY VERDICTS
HAVE COME DOWN, THE VERDICT HAS
BEEN RENDERED, JUDGMENT HAS BEEN
PASSED, THAT FOLKS WILL MOVE ON,
FOLKS WILL SAY, WE DID OUR JOB,
WE MARCHED, WE PROTESTED, WE GOT
JUSTICE, TIME TO MOVE ON TO THE
NEXT?
ARE YOU AT ALL CONCERNED ABOUT
THAT?
>> NOT CONCERNED SO MUCH BECAUSE
WE DON’T HAVE ANY PLANS TO JUST
SIT AROUND AND HAVE A TIT DIE DO
WE’RE THE NONOT DONE YET.
THIS IS PART OF THE JOURNEY.
WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE STAY
ACTIVE, THAT WE STAY VISIBLE.
WE ARE GOING TO KEEP PUSHING OUR
EFFORTS TO MAKE SURE THAT NO
OTHER FAMILY HAS TO SUFFER WHAT
WE HAVE HAD TO SUFFER.
>> THANK YOU AND GOOD LUCK WITH