Former President Barack Obama reacted Tuesday to Derek Chauvin’s guilty verdict in the death of George Floyd but said that “true justice requires much more.”
“Today, a jury did the right thing,” Obama tweeted to his millions of followers. “But true justice requires much more.”
“Michelle and I send our prayers to the Floyd family, and we stand with all those who are committed to guaranteeing every American the full measure of justice that George and so many others have been denied,” he added. (RELATED: Kamala Harris’ Sister Says A ‘Just Verdict’ Not The Same ‘As Justice’ After Chauvin Found Guilty On All Counts)
Today, a jury did the right thing. But true justice requires much more. Michelle and I send our prayers to the Floyd family, and we stand with all those who are committed to guaranteeing every American the full measure of justice that George and so many others have been denied. pic.twitter.com/mihZQHqACV
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) April 20, 2021
The post included a statement from the 44th President of the United States praising the jury for doing the “right thing” when they found former Minneapolis police officer guilty of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in the death of Floyd. (RELATED: ‘Do Not Result To Looting Or Violence’: George Floyd’s Uncle Asks For Peace Ahead Of Derek Chauvin Trial)
The statement also talked about how “true justice” is much more than “a single verdict in a single trial.” (RELATED: Facebook, Twitter Do Not Censor Video Of Maxine Waters Encouraging Protesters ‘To Get More Confrontational’)
“True justice requires that we come to terms with the fact that Black Americans are treated differently, every day,” Barack shared. “It requires us to recognize that millions of our friends, family, and fellow citizens live in fear that their next encounter with law enforcement could be their last.”
“And it requires us to do the sometimes thankless, often difficult, but always necessary work of making the America we know more like the America we believe in,” he added. “While today’s verdict may have been a necessary step on the road to progress, it was far from a sufficient one. We cannot rest.”
“We will need to follow through with the concrete reforms that will reduce and ultimately eliminate racial bias in our criminal justice system,” Obama continued. “We will need to redouble our efforts to expand economic opportunity for those communities that have been too long marginalized.”