Dear Lehman College Colleagues: 

We have been waiting with anxiety and probably even dread for the verdict in the trial of Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd, and now we have it. As a community of learners and seekers at Lehman College, we hold dear the values of justice and equity, and we are acutely aware that as a nation we have so often fallen woefully short of living up to those values. During the weeks of this trial, it has been impossible not to fear that once again we would fall short.

To paraphrase Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison in his statement after the guilty verdict was read, we cannot say that justice has been done but we can say there has been accountability. That outcome should give us hope; not that the tide has definitively turned and justice has prevailed for good, but that accountability is possible.

Ellison also said we must continue the journey to transformation and justice, and I see this as a clear moment to renew our commitment to that journey. This verdict will not restore George Floyd to those who knew and loved him, nor will it restore those many other lives lost in similar ways. But it does show us the possibility of accountability and justice, and an America moving a little bit closer to its ideals.

Daniel Lemons
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