Today on Sojourner Truth, we discuss the trial of Derek Chauvin, the white police officer who murdered George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on May 25, 2020. Chauvin's murder trial began on March 8, 2021, with opening statements beginning on Monday, March 29. This has become one of the most closely watched court cases in decades.
Floyd, a Black father of three and a grandfather of two, was killed during an arrest after a store clerk claimed he used a counterfeit $20 bill. Chauvin, one of the four police officers who arrived on the scene, handcuffed him and slammed him face-down on the street. Three other officers - Tou Thao, Thomas Lane and J. Alexander Kueng - restrained Floyd and another prevented passersby from defending Floyd. They have also been charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder and aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter. Chauvin proceeded to kneel on Floyd's neck for 9 minutes and 29 seconds, preventing him from breathing. As he was pinned under Chauvin's knee, Floyd repeatedly cried out for help and said that he couldn't breathe. During the final two minutes of him being pinned down, Floyd was motionless and had no pulse. The Minneapolis police took no immediate action to directly treat him and Chauvin kept his knee on Floyd's neck until medics arrived. Following Floyd's murder, Chauvin was fired and charged with second-degree murder. In the following weeks, protests against systemic racism and in solidarity with Black lives erupted in cities across the United States and around the world. Protests began in Minneapolis, but quickly spread to over 2,000 cities and towns in over 60 countries, according to The Guardian. Some polls have estimated that as many as 26 million people participated in the demonstrations.
Our guests are Mic Crenshaw, Kieran Knutson and Nana Gyamfi.
Mic Crenshaw was born and raised in Chicago and Minneapolis and currently resides in Portland, Oregon. Crenshaw is an independent hip hop artist, respected emcee, poet, educator and activist. Crenshaw is the Lead U.S. Organizer for the Afrikan HipHop Caravan and uses Cultural Activism as a means to develop international solidarity related to Human Rights and Justice through Hip Hop and Popular Education. Mic is the NW Regional Director of Hip Hop Congress.
Kieran is President of CWA Local 7250 and has been active in protests in solidarity with George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter movement. Kieran is based in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Nana Gyamfi is an attorney, consultant, educator, activist, the Executive Director of Black Alliance for Just Immigration (BAJI), and the President of the National Conference of Black Lawyers.
