With Verdict, the Moral Arc Slowly Bends
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San Antonio Express-News | ExpressNews.com | Sunday, April 25, 2021 | A17 OTHER VIEWS With verdict, the moral arc slowly bends CARY CLACK know that too many times people Commentary have waited at the station for that just verdict only to never see it arrive. The case of Floyd, his murder and this verdict, has a different feel. It continues to be a moment that is evolving intoahistoric inflection point. Never has the death of a single individual stirred the nation into mobilizing By the end of what would be into so large of a nonviolent, George Floyd’s last day on Earth, multiracial and multigenerational the number of people watching movement. Not JFK. Not Martin the video of the last 10 minutes of Luther King Jr.Nobody. his life as Derek Chauvin’s knee In her brilliant and metaphor- pressed against his neck was rich book “Caste: The Origins of growing. It would rise into the our Discontents,”Isabel Wilker- hundreds of millions, maybe son compared Americaand its even a billion, who saw a man die unaddressed systemic racism to on the street. an old house. Only one other time in history “The owner of an old house has the murder of a man on an knows that whatever you are American street — on any nation’s ignoring will never go away,” street — been watched by so Wilkerson writes. “Whatever is many and so stopped the world: lurking will fester whether you the assassination of President choose to look or not. Ignorance John F. Kennedy in 1963. is no protection from the conse- Within a week, George Floyd quence of inaction. Whatever you had become one of the most are wishing away will gnaw at you famous names in the world. His until you gather the courage to death, like Kennedy’s, one of the face what you would rather not most infamous and consequen- Morry Gash /Associated Press see.” tial. People celebrate after former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty for the George Floyd is the neighbor Tuesday, when it was an- murder of George Floyd. And yet the nation had tensed, not sure a jury would see the truth. we saw get killed in the front yard nounced that the jury had of our old house. We couldn’t call reached a verdict in Chauvin’s taken the transcript of that fatal The United States has been response to a different verdictbut the police because a policeman trial, millions gathered around encounter, removed the words of bent and fractured by race, world broken in destroying the belief killed him. televisions and radios, in public Chauvin and the other officers, wars, depressions and reces- that a historically inequitable His murder struck a chord and and private. Upon the announce- and cried as I read the painfully sions, terrorist attacks from justice system could be changed helped many find the courage to ment that the former Minneapo- poetic soliloquy of a man who abroad and, more frequently, and was worth working for, and look, for the first time, in the lis police officer had been found knew he was dying. terrorist attacks from within. The broken in widening distrust. basements and attics of their old guilty on all three counts, in- But I listened to the verdict Civil War was the one time we Ihave faith in this nation, in its house, to learn histories they cluding the most serious charge and felt neither happiness nor broke, and we’re still fighting that ideals and aspirations, its capac- didn’t know and talk to neighbors of second-degree murder, people sadness. When the jury began battle, including white nationalist ity to correct itself and to change they’d not spoken to before. cheered, cried and hugged in joy. deliberations Monday, we collec- terrorist attacks dating back to and grow for the better — albeit at It’s the only way to understand Ifelt nothing. tively tensed because we weren’t Reconstruction. amaddening slow pace. I have someone else’s struggles, affirm I’m emotional. It doesn’t take certain a jury would see a truth, a Had the jury not confirmed the faith we can grow into the best their humanity and fix the things much movement on the sadness- crime, that wasself-evident. We murder we saw, had it not con- example of a multiracial democ- that must be repaired. to-joy scale, in either direction, knew that were it not for a cell- cluded that a Black life mattered racy that appreciates each of its Last week’s verdict strength- for me to choke up and shed a phone recording, the verdict in even when taken by a police parts while denigrating none. ened the railing of hope upon track of tears. On the night of 2021 would have been the same officer, the country could have But my faith isn’t as strong as which we lean to keep from fall- May 25,I watched Floyd die, and as it would have been in 1921. broken irreparably. those who had no doubt the jury ing. it unplugged new tears from old All that I felt was relief that this Broken not only in what would would arrive at a just verdict. I wells of memory and history. I’ve nation didn’t break. have been the immediate visceral know history well enough to [email protected] No longer will I take voting for granted Ivoted when I was 18.I don’t NANCY M. justice and running for office. director of NextGen America, remember who I voted for, only PREYOR-JOHNSON Young people are still using their said the groups want to bring that it was a civic rite of passage, Commentary energy, youth, talent and plat- awareness to new voters of color acoming-of-agelife event. After forms to fortify our democracy. in response to voter-suppression that, I was inconsistent. It is Iam inspired by people in bills. They have joined the fight something I regret. their 20s who are running for San against Senate Bill 7 and House Inow see that every time I Antonio City Council and local Bill 6, which seek to narrow didn’t vote,I sent the message school boards. Their poise, voting access based on the false that I didn’t care enough to know knowledge of the issues and premise of widespread election the issues or the people. Even desire to serve are admirable. fraud. worse, my lack of voting showed Iwas delighted to read Andres Civic engagement touches Ididn’t value the work and sacri- Picon’s article in the San Antonio every facet of our lives — from fices of every activist, politician But what I didn’t realize was Express-News about Brittany laws, policies and leaders to and military service member not voting meant I was increasing Soto, an inspiring 19-year-old taxes, health care, social justice, who had established and protect- the value of the votes of those candidate for the Comal Indepen- the social safety net, equity, ed voting rights. who didn’t look like me, think dent School District board of schools, city policies, the roads From 18, as a Mexican Amer- like me or share my values. trustees. She’s studying the is- we drive on, the parks and librar- ican woman, I have had the right Not all young people are this sues, raising her voice and trying ies we visit, and so much more. to vote. I didn’t have to own way. Although they historically to get a seat on the dais. The last time I voted, elderly property, take a literacy test or have voted at lower rates than Iwas moved when I watched and disabled people with canes Steve Gonzales/Staff photographer pay a poll tax. My registration older adults, it’s the energy of the beautiful video of Tori Baltier- and in wheelchairs showed up to Texans rally to protect the was part of my driver’s license some young people that has ra, a 19-year-old member of the vote. Standing in line during vote in Houston. In not voting, application. It wasn’t difficult for made a difference in the past and trio-sister Austin band Tiarra COVID-19 wasn’t easy for them, you cede your voice to others. me, able-bodied with transporta- is making a difference today. Girls. Wearing a red suit, Baltierra and every person in line stepped tion, to get to a polling site. Young peopleand people of stood in the Texas Capitol Rotun- aside and encouraged them to informed, engaged voters that By not voting,I was taking all color have been at the center of da on April 8 and bravely sang skip to the front. But they would reflect their demographics. of that for granted. our country’s civil rights move- “Amazing Grace” while nearly a have waited. They knew the Sustaining our country’s de- People choose not to vote for ments. They helped fuel the quarter-million rose petals were significance of their votes. mocracy requires participation complex reasons, and I had plen- movement for the 26th Amend- dropped by other young activists. Ino longer take voting for from all. Engagement at every ty of them. As a young adult,I ment that lowered the voting age They celebrate the nearly granted, and I won’t be skipping level, including the sacred, fun- used every excuse. I don’t un- from 21 to 18 in 1971. 270,000 Texans of color each any more elections. Young or old, damental right of voting, is not derstand what’s going on, and I And today, not only are young year who turn 18 — voting age.