Dear Siena community,
After two days of deliberation, with the whole nation waiting, the jury in the trial of Derek Chauvin has delivered guilty verdicts in the death of George Floyd.
The jury has delivered justice.
This is a time for reflection, conversation, and building a path forward. May George Floyd’s murder not have been in vain. His killing last May produced a global groundswell of support for more positive race relations and helped promote constructive reform in the way police are educated and trained to protect and serve their communities.
Our own college community of Saints is committed to advancing this dialogue and leading positive change. On May 6, Siena will host a second bipartisan congressional panel discussion about police reform. U.S. Representatives Antonio Delgado (D-NY) and John Katko (R-NY) will be discussing the two major legislative proposals for policing reform authored by conservative Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) and progressive U.S. Representative Karen Bass (D-CA). Full details will be shared shortly.
Let us now set an example for each other, for our friends and family, and for our wider society, by acknowledging the pain and struggle faced by people of color, and by working together to strengthen the bonds of racial justice at Siena College and around the world.