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Floyd family says guilty verdict is justice for all
FOX 26 Reporter Damali Keith spoke with George's brother, Philonise Floyd, following the guilty verdict of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin.
HOUSTON - A day after Derek Chauvin was found guilty of murdering George Floyd, Floyd's family members say their fight for justice isn't over. They now plan to stand with others seeking fair and just treatment.
George Floyd was known for saying "We won the championship", words uttered by the Floyd family there in Minneapolis after the verdict was announced and George’s sister in law Keeta Floyd took it a step further saying, "Houston we’re coming back with the W". It’s a win many say is only the beginning.
"I’m a crybaby. You’ve seen that. George was a crybaby," explains George Floyd’s little brother Philonise Floyd.
After the guilty verdict, that’s exactly what Philonise did, became overcome with tears and an array of emotions. "Excitement. I feel this world is coming together. It’s going to be a journey". Philonise says this is a journey because for one of the first times ever, an officer is convicted of murder but justice has historically been elusive for minorities believed to have been victimized by police.
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So Derek Chauvin being found guilty of murdering George Floyd is leaving many with conflicting feelings.
"Being on cloud nine yesterday, just thinking about how people of color, we never get justice," explains Philonise.
"It was a very emotional victory, because so many times, like Philonise said, Black people have been denied justice when you have these police excessive force and wrongful deaths. But today all of us got a victory," says Floyd family Attorney Ben Crump.
"And there are often videos, like Rodney King, Eric Garner, and then you also think about Ahmad Arbery how he was just jogging and he was lynched. This world has to get better," adds Philonise.
"Prayerfully and hopefully it will set a precedent that when we say with liberty and justice for all of us, it means all of us, African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Asian Americans, Native Americans," Crump explains.
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Just as protestors repeatedly rallied for George Floyd, Philonise says he will now do the same.
"And they all said one thing, none of us can breathe until we get justice for George Floyd. So this guilty verdict allows everyone to exhale finally," says Crump. "Nobody deserves to be treated like this. We’re all human beings. God created us. We’re all creatures that were built to live with each other, not against each other, because of the shade of our skin," explains Philonise who said this verdict proves "darkness can’t drive out darkness, only light can do that".
He says his brother helped shed light on once unspeakable inequity that everyone is now talking about. Philonise says his brother’s legacy will forever shine for the world to see.
Philonise Floyd says this is a role he never thought he or his brother would be in but he believes it’s his mission to now speak out and help stand up for others.
"I just want to be able to help people, not just people of color, people all around this world because we all need help sometime. That’s why I started the Philonise and Keeta Floyd Institution for Social Change. It’s helping with mental illness, youth enrichment, human trafficking. I want to also, because I’m not anti-police, I want to give a shout out to Chief Troy Finner. He’s a good person and I think he’s perfect for the job."