Messaging mistakes in the wake of the Derek Chauvin verdict
After jurors found Chauvin guilty of all charges, some organizations and public figures jumped into the fray with ill-considered statements.
April 20 marked the end of the legal drama surrounding the murder of George Floyd at the hands of police in Minneapolis a year ago. However, the issues that underpin the national conversation about the tragedy—including systemic racism and police misconduct—remain unresolved.
While a guilty verdict might offer some solace to Floyd’s family, the rush by many organizations to celebrate a victory has felt inappropriate—and users on social media are voicing their displeasure.
There were plenty of critiques for Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s statement thanking George Floyd for “sacrificing himself for justice:”
Nancy Pelosi literally thanking George Floyd pic.twitter.com/Hmkv20EFbT
— HARD FACTOR (@HardFactorNews) April 20, 2021
Pelosi later tried to clean up her statement, reframing her remarks to reflect her belief that George Floyd “did not die in vain.”
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