George Floyd: 'One case, one verdict, does not change years of systemic racism'

Conviction of former cop Derek Chauvin for murder and manslaughter brings hope for change and restoration

People cheer after a guilty verdict was announced at the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin for the 2020 death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Picture: AP Photo/Morry Gash

Relief, even if fleeting and momentary, is a feeling that black Americans have rarely known in America: From slavery to Jim Crow segregation to enduring punishments for living while black, a breath of fresh air untainted by oppression has long been hard to come by.

Nonetheless, the conviction of ex-cop Derek Chauvin for murdering George Floyd nearly a year ago allowed many across this city and the nation to exhale pent-up anxiety — and to inhale a sense of hope.