If every sector of Memphis - government, nonprofits, and businesses of all sizes – could come together around this vision of who we can be, we will move beyond glimmers of hope to personify hope.
The claim: The cause of George Floyd s death was a drug overdose
Following weeks of testimony in a closely watched case, a 12-member jury found former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin guilty on all counts in the death of George Floyd, a 46-year old Black man who died while being restrained by Chauvin in police custody last May.
As Americans flooded the streets to mark the verdict, misinformation erupted on social media.
Despite video evidence of Chauvin kneeling on Floyd s neck for more than nine minutes, a viral social media post claims Floyd s death was the result of a drug overdose.
USA TODAY
For Black people, how are you? can be a loaded question. A too-small phrase asked in spaces that can rarely accommodate the answer. When Chauvin was found guilty, there was exhalation and in some cases celebration, but there was also an unrelenting grief. There was recognition among Black Americans of what the moment offered, and what it still denied. About 20 minutes before the verdict was announced, a 16-year-old Black girl, Ma’Khia Bryant, was fatally shot by police in Columbus, Ohio.
On social media, some Black people said they appreciate when white friends and colleagues check in. Others said there is nothing they want less. Some non-Black people might not be sure what to say.
The claim: The Black Lives Matter and antifa movements are behind the burning of a Minneapolis church
The emotional three-week trial of Derek Chauvin came to an end April 20 when the former Minneapolis police officer was found guilty of murder and manslaughter in the death of George Floyd, a Black man who died while being restrained by Chauvin in police custody.
The May 25, 2020, video of a handcuffed Floyd lying prone on the ground as Chauvin, a white 19-year police veteran, pressed a knee against Floyd s neck sparked massive Black Lives Matter protests across the U.S. and the rest of the world.
CHANDAN KHANNAGetty Images
On April 20, 2021, people filled the streets outside Minneapolis s Hennepin Government Center in anticipation of the verdict in the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin. The trial lasted three weeks, and after a jury deliberation that lasted just over 10 hours, Chauvin was found guilty on all three charges: second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter. Last May, Chauvin was captured on video while he knelt on the neck of George Floyd for more than nine minutes, murdering Floyd in front of a crowd of people. In the video Floyd can be heard pleading for his life. Floyd s death set off a wave of protests and riots around the world over police brutality and systemic racism.