Former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama reacted Tuesday to the guilty verdict announced by the jury in the Derek Chauvin trial for the death of George Floyd.
The Obamas said the jury “did the right thing” after the trial but said full justice had yet to be achieved.
“We know that true justice is about much more than a single verdict in a single trial,” the statement read.
The jury found Chauvin guilty on all three charges of killing George Floyd; second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter.
The former president and first lady said the death of George Floyd and the protests and movements that followed were a sign justice had not been reached for black Americans.
“True justice requires that we come to terms with the fact that Black Americans are treated differently, every day,” they said.
The Obamas urged Americans to realize black people’s fear of encountering law enforcement officials and losing their lives.
“While today’s verdict may have been a necessary step on the road to progress, it was far from a sufficient one,” they said. “We cannot rest.”
The Obamas called for reforming the criminal justice system to eliminate racial bias and expanding “economic opportunities” for “marginalized” communities.
“We stand shoulder-to-shoulder 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 concluded.
Read the full statement below:
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