Statement Regarding Chauvin Trial
We at GPSG stand in solidarity with the family of George Floyd and the communities in Minneapolis that have too long suffered the fatal costs of institutionalized white supremacy. Today's announced guilty verdict for Derek Chauvin will hopefully bring some small solace to a grieving community. However, we recognize that one verdict will not be sufficient to reform or abolish the socio-economic institutions that continue to marginalize Blackness and carry out arbitrary death sentences without due process. The extra-judicial killings of Daunte Wright and Adam Toledo are sobering reminders of this fact. The University of Colorado is not exempt in this push for reform, and recent debates among student and faculty leaders on campus illustrate the importance of combating hierarchical, xenophobic, and exploitative institutions that continue to denigrate its most vulnerable and marginalized community members. The fight for justice has not ended with today's verdict, but we hope that it offers a small step forward for our Buff Community and the nation as a whole.