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'A small measure of justice': GM, Facebook respond to the Derek Chauvin guilty verdicts


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Corporate America, which almost universally declared in statements that “Black lives matter” in the wake of the death of George Floyd, called the conviction Tuesday of the officer who killed him a step forward— but said much more was needed to achieve widespread justice.

A jury found Derek Chauvin, 45, guilty of second- and third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter for the killing of Floyd last May. The murder, in which Chauvin knelt on Floyd’s neck for nine minutes and 29 seconds, sparked protests across the U.S. and a broader social reckoning on police violence and systemic racism.

General Motors CEO Mary Barra said the verdicts were “a step in the fight.”   

“While the guilty verdicts in the trial seeking justice for George Floyd are a step in the fight against bias and injustice, we must remain determined to drive meaningful, deliberate change on a broad scale,” Barra wrote on Twitter. “The past several weeks have been a painful and poignant reminder of the need to support reform and condemn injustice…”

CEO Mark Zuckerberg wrote about the verdict on his Facebook page.

“Right now I’m thinking of George Floyd, his family and those who knew him. I hope this verdict brings some measure of comfort to them, and to everyone who can’t help but see themselves in his story,” Zuckerberg wrote. “We stand in solidarity with you, knowing that this is part of a bigger struggle against racism and injustice.

Facebook’s chief operating officer, Sheryl Sandberg, expressed similar sentiments.

“A small measure of justice was done today. But real justice would be for George Floyd to be alive and in the arms of his family,” she wrote. “This brutal tragedy is one page in the much larger story of systemic racism, oppression, and injustice in our country.”

Kathryn Finney, CEO and founder of Genius Guild, who has helped Black entrepreneurs build companies and raise capital from investors, said the verdict was “historically meaningful” to the Black community but not enough.

She said she created the Genius Guild to address how capitalism has been used against Black communities. 

“The racism that still exists in America is unacceptable and it’s beyond time that we rethink, restructure and rebuild many of the racist institutions in America,” she said. “We are building a world we want to see and live in. To create a world where everyone wins, everyone must own the problem. Everyone must be part of the solution.”

Microsoft President Brad Smith said the verdict was a step forward in “acknowledging painful truths.”

“Our nation has a long journey ahead before it establishes the justice and equity that Black Americans deserve. The murder of George Floyd is a tragedy and a crime, and no jury can bring him back to life or reverse the pain and trauma experienced by his family and still felt across the country and around the world. Today’s verdict is a step forward in acknowledging painful truths and for the continued cause of defeating racism and fighting discrimination. Our company remains committed to the continued path ahead.”

The sports community also took note Tuesday.

During the NBA on TNT pregame show, three-time NBA champion Dwayne Wade, who recently became a minority owner in the Utah Jazz, said his heart was pounding when he heard the verdict.

“Today showed to me the power of community. You can’t celebrate this, but if there was any win today, to me, it was a win for accountability….We have to continue to pray for healing for the black community across the world.”

Candace Parker, a WNBA star and Wade’s colleague on the show, noted they were talking about justice on a sports show, calling the verdict a “step in the right direction; we still have so much more to go.

The NFL issued a statement expressing condolences to the Floyd family, and added:

“Even as we identify reasons for hope, we must continue to help move our society toward a more equal and just tomorrow. We are proud to partner with the NFL players and clubs and remain committed to do the important work needed to make positive change in our society.”

The Las Vegas Raiders, one of those clubs, posted “I CAN BREATH 4-20-21” on its Twitter account, appearing to play off Floyd’s last words of “I can’t breath.”

The tweet, however, was widely criticized on social media as being insensitive and it garnered more than 15,000 comments in an hour.

Meanwhile, other companies and business leaders expressed their thoughts on Twitter.

Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream posted four tweets Tuesday evening, including:

“Justice requires accountability, but accountability alone must not be confused with justice. Derek Chauvin now faces accountability. George Floyd was denied justice the moment Chauvin’s knee took his last breath.”

Starbucks, in a tweet, said:

“George Floyd should be alive today. We still have work to do to address systemic racism and ensure everyone has an equal chance to succeed and thrive. Black lives matter, and we stand with our Black customers and partners.”

And Melinda Gates, co-chair of the Gates Foundation, wrote:

“As important as it was, this verdict was not justice. If George Floyd had justice, he would be alive today. But this verdict will, I hope, fuel the faith of everyone who believes that justice is possible. This is not the end. Let’s insist it is just the beginning.”

Institutions ranging from J.P. Morgan Chase to Mastercard to Target have launched or announced initiatives to challenge systemic racism, including investing in Black-owned businesses and broader diversity goals. But critics have said that some companies have done little to back up their words with concrete action.  

Chauvin found guilty and nation reacts: Derek Chauvin guilty verdict sparks reactions across the nation

What were the charges?: What are the charges against Derek Chauvin? Here’s what the jury is considering for the death of George Floyd.

Despite calls by investors to make mostly white boards of directors more diverse, almost two-thirds of the 3,000 largest publicly traded companies in the U.S. don’t have a Black board member, according to data analyzed by BoardProspects and shared exclusively with USA TODAY last month.

But momentum began to build in the wake of Floyd’s death. Of the more than 420 new Black board appointments between 2019 and 2020, 62% were made in the seven months after Floyd died.

And this month, hundreds of business leaders and companies released a statement decrying the wave of state laws being pushed or passed to suppress voting rights.

Contributing: Nathan Bomey, Jessica Guynn, Craig Harris  

Follow Charisse Jones on Twitter @charissejones





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