As a legal aid organization dedicated to removing barriers to justice, we recognize yesterday’s guilty verdict in the jury trial for George Floyd’s murder as one step on our country’s 300 year journey toward racial equity. Before the trial, during the trial, and after the verdict, more Black lives were lost at the hands of the police. Our work is far from over.
We stand with heroes like Darnella Frazier, who make us see these acts for what they are. As we process the recurring onslaught of violence and discrimination against people in brown and Black communities, Connecticut Legal Services pledges to keep advocating for all those who have suffered from individual racism, and for those who have been failed by our institutions through systemic racism. We continue to look internally to ensure our own policies and actions are informed by the failings of the past and present.