Statement on Verdict in George Floyd Case

"Today's verdict is a measure of accountability for the Floyd family, but a small one. They lost a brother, a father, and a grandfather in another instance of senseless police violence, enforcing a system that privileges white comfort over Black lives. In the overwhelming number of cases before and since George Floyd's murder, our criminal legal system has provided little or no penalty for the destruction of Black lives by those entrusted to protect us. Today, at least, that pattern of injustice has been broken.

"Mr. Floyd's murder galvanized people across the country, myself included, and underscored the high-- sometimes deadly-- costs of being Black in America. Hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers participated in marches and rallies, in pursuit of a nation that truly values its people, a legal system that serves everyone, and community safety rooted in true justice. In other words, a demand that America lives up to its highest ideals.

"Until we live in that nation, our work must continue."