Monthly Archives: April 2021

The murder trial for the death of George Floyd concluded yesterday as the jury found Derek Chauvin guilty on all counts, and for many members of the Georgia Southern community, this came as an overdue relief.

I am glad to see Chauvin get convicted of all counts, said GS student Jennifer Hull. For the first time in a long time, I felt a small sense of pride to be an American. They finally made the right decision and have decided enough is enough and people need to be held accountable.

I was actually pretty happy with the outcome, said Chesney Beadle, a GS student, I felt like it shouldnt have taken as long as it did, because, in my opinion, he was guilty from the start.

The world watched Floyds final moments from a viral video showing Chauvin kneeling on Floyds neck for over nine minutes. This video alone was convicting enough for many students that watched.

You cant kneel on a mans neck for like 8 minutes while he pleads for his life and not be a murderer, GS student Quinn Harris said. That man is seriously sick in the head. I am glad he is away from society.

It should have taken less time, said Ariana White, a GS student. The man murdered someone on camera.

Floyds death sparked Black Lives Matter protests across the nation, and discussions on police brutality and discrimination of people of color expanded over the course of the year. For many, the verdict is a step in the right direction.

This has set an example for the black community: we are capable of anything and tired of getting mistreated. Its been a long time coming, said Zacaria Belton, a GS student. I think this really made an example out of the bad cops that think they can get away with anything.

I believe this proves as a win for the BLM movement as this movement was responsible for the global torch that was lit worldwide and inspired millions of people to protest and petition the government for change, said KymBria Green, a GS student.

The movements and discussions were echoed on GS campus, as the university put a focus on improving diversity, equity and inclusion on campus during 2020. In early spring of last year, the university hired its first associate vice president for Inclusive Excellence.

As I think about the events leading to the verdict, Im reminded that this was yet another preventable act of violence that undermines the experiences and cohesiveness of our communities, said TaJuan Wilson, associate vice president of Inclusive Excellence at GS. Here at Southern, we have taken and will continue to take intentional steps to make our community more equitable, anti-racist, and inclusive.

University President Kyle Marrero and Vice President for Academic Affairs, Carl Reiber released this joint statement yesterday: As an institution dedicated to Inclusive Excellence, we will continue to take measures to stand up for our shared values, and for one another. We will remain united in our resolve to address injustices and hatred in our community.

While many shared that they felt justice had finally been served, some made sure to note that no justice or court ruling can undo Floyds death.

Because of Derek Chauvins actions, we lost a father, a brother, a son, said Madison Wasdin, a GS student. Derek Chauvin deserved to be jailed for life; It is not up to a police officer to decide if someones life is worth ending.

While this verdict does not bring George Floyd back it is a big step in the right direction for holding law enforcement officers accountable for their actions, said Rachel Moody, I think this win will encourage the movement to continue to fight for justice for the many others such as Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and Daunte Wright.

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Derek Chauvin found guilty on all counts, GS community reacts - The George-Anne

A man has appeared in court for a second time charged with starting two fires at the Findhorn Foundation.

Joseph Clark, of no fixed abode, is accused of starting the blazes that destroyed the charitys community centre and main sanctuary.

The two buildings were some of the oldest and most treasured on the park.

The 49-year-old, who was represented by Elgin-based solicitor Ben Thom, made no plea during the hearing, which was held in private.

Clark was remanded in custody after the appearance at Inverness Sheriff Court.

The blaze was discovered at the world-famous Findhorn Foundation in the early hours of Monday, April 12.

The Findhorn Foundation is a Scottish charitable trust registered in 1972, formed by the spiritual community at the Findhorn Ecovillage, one of the largest intentional communities in Britain.

It has been home to thousands of residents from more than 40 countries.

A police investigation was launched following the fire.

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Man appears in court for second time charged with starting Findhorn Foundation fires - Press and Journal

CINCINNATI One night after police said a 13-year-old girl was stabbed to death by another 13-year-old girl and less than a month since a 14-year-old Cincinnati boy was charged in multiple murders, community members are concerned about the spike in violent crime involving young people.

"You have to wonder what's going on in the mind of a 13-year-old that that person would want to take another person's life," said Ennis Tait, pastor of New Beginnings Church of the Living God and executive director of organizations Project Lifeline and Positive Force, which focus on reaching teens before they fall into a life of violence.

Tait said in cases like the stabbing on Monday night, the tragedy ripples through both the family of the victim and the suspect's family.

"Immediately when I think of the tragedy of, first of all, a young person being involved in an incident like last night, but having two of them, one to lose their life in the midst of the violence and one to lose their future," said Tait.

He said at both Project Lifeline and Positive Force, the organizations are seeing an uptick in delinquencies that usually don't happen until kids are out of school in the summer.

He said he believes the increase in teens involved in crime is related to the COVID-19 pandemic, and kids not having school as their safety net from hardships that may be happening at home.

Heather Chura-Smith, spokesperson for the Hamilton County Juvenile Court, said overall crimes committed by children had been trending downward.

"So, generally, I would say that our delinquency complaints in the community are down as they have been trending down over the past couple years," she said. "Unfortunately, as we've seen nationally and locally, there has been a slight uptick in the more violent offenses."

On any given year, she said, Hamilton County Juvenile Courts deal with around 10 homicide cases.

"We can't dance around it," said Tait. "We have to be very intentional about it. If we want our young people to be safe, we have to put our money where our mouth is."

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Communities concerned about multiple homicides this year involving teens - WCPO

Throughout Boston, residents are greeted with the sight of benches divided by armrests that may look unassuming, but in reality prevent people from laying down on them. These restrictive seat dividers are a type of hostile architecture: a design approach that purposefully makes an environment uncomfortable to prevent individuals experiencing homelessness from frequenting these areas.

Hostile architecture is one of many ways the government and institutions work to push unhoused communities out of sight.

The pandemic has only exacerbated this kind of inaccessibility, especially on our campus. Access to areas that had previously been places of refuge for vulnerable populations has been heavily curtailed due to social distancing measures.

The George Sherman Union and the Mugar Library were previously open to non-students and used to be essential sources of food, warmth, bathroom facilities and water for the unhoused population. Now, no one can enter the GSU if they are not students and do not have a green badge.

Moreover, on-campus stores and dining facilities such as City Convenience do not accept cash, and in some cases, can only be accessed through GrubHub. These kinds of cashless payment restrictions have been shown to negatively affect low-income households, especially the individuals experiencing homelessness who may not have access to any other kind of funds.

The pandemic has provided a place for institutions to further pre-existing wealth inequality under the guise of protecting public safety whether intentional or not.

This is not to say that Boston University is not justified in enacting these restrictions. But the pandemic has exposed how these types of public health measures both at BU and the world at large do not consider its most vulnerable community members.

Whether it be through off-campus housing or simply walking around campus, students regularly interact with Boston residents. Students may even pose a significant risk to Boston residents with COVID-19 transmission: House parties held by college students in particular were a huge area of concern of community transmission for South Boston residents. Boston became a high-risk community after reports of these parties.

Opening access to BU community testing sites for Boston residents who need it would be a significant step in ensuring public safety for all.

BU holds significant power over the landscape of Boston. For years now, the University has significantly contributed to the gentrification of the city, particularly in Kenmore Square. BUs presence in the area has only grown since the pandemic: Due to the devastating effects of COVID-19 on restaurants, BU-affiliated properties are rapidly becoming the backbone of Kenmore.

Extending resources to the very communities BU helped push out of their neighborhoods is the very least it could do.

There are over 6,000 unhoused people in the city of Boston. From 2019 to 2020, there was a 6.8% increase in the number of families without a home, according to the 40th Annual Homeless Census. The pandemic has only worsened the housing crisis, making a population without resources to get treatment or get tested all the more vulnerable.

Taking care of those people does not work against public health measures, but rather should be an essential and central part of these plans and safety measures.

This is not to say that BU is solely responsible for addressing Bostons housing crisis, but as a prominent community member, BU has a responsibility to do better.

This can be enacted in small ways. For instance, people do not necessarily need to show their ID to get on the BU Shuttle, making this a resource available to everyone who regularly traffics our campus. BU could better distribute our resources by making other services such as our testing resources, dining services and buildings safely accessible to residents.

Last year BU opened part of its campus up to house staff from homeless shelters. BU could expand these efforts and offer housing to individuals without shelter during the summertime.

But it is not enough to simply remove hostile elements of our campus. It is also important to be actively anti-hostile towards our most vulnerable communities. BU should create spaces and resources that explicitly address the systemic roots of homelessness.

The Individual in Community HUB requirement requires students to learn to accept individual responsibility and work as engaged members of their communities.

Does our campus, as a major community member of Boston, reflect this shared responsibility?

BU should work on striking a balance between making campus regulations that are COVID-19 safe while also holding space for the most vulnerable members of our community.

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EDITORIAL: Boston University should better support Boston's unhoused population - Daily Free Press

CINCINNATI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Fifth Third Bank, National Association, has been named to the Forbes list of Best Employers for Diversity 2021. This prestigious award is presented by Forbes and Statista Inc., the world-leading statistics portal and industry ranking provider. The awards list was announced April 20 and can currently be viewed on the Forbes website.

Talent diversity is of upmost importance at every level of our Company, from our Board of Directors to our executive leadership team to our nearly 20,000 employees throughout our markets, said Peg Jula, Fifth Thirds chief human resources officer. Being named to the Forbes Best Employers for Diversity list demonstrates our commitment to cultivating an inclusive workforce that can effectively serve a diverse customer base and all communities.

We are intentional about creating an inclusive and trusting environment where all ideas are welcomed and where employees feel comfortable and empowered to have discussions about diversity and inclusion, said Stephanie Smith, the Banks chief inclusion and diversity officer. Accelerating racial equality, equity and inclusion is one of our strategic initiatives, and we believe in the power of leveraging our diversity and commonality as we strive to be the One Bank that people most value and trust.

The Best Employers for Diversity were selected based on Statista's innovative methodology, guaranteeing unbiased results and providing reliable insights. Over 50,000 U.S. employees were surveyed in companies with a minimum of 1,000 employees to identify the Best Employers for Diversity. The evaluation was based on four different criteria:

To learn more about Fifth Third Banks inclusion and diversity efforts, please visit: http://www.53.com/diversity.

About Fifth Third

Fifth Third Bancorp is a diversified financial services company headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, and the indirect parent company of Fifth Third Bank, National Association, a federally chartered institution. As of Mar. 31, 2021, Fifth Third had $207 billion in assets and operated 1,098 full-service banking centers and 2,383 ATMs with Fifth Third branding in Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Florida, Tennessee, West Virginia, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina. In total, Fifth Third provides its customers with access to approximately 53,000 fee-free ATMs across the United States. Fifth Third operates four main businesses: Commercial Banking, Branch Banking, Consumer Lending and Wealth & Asset Management. Fifth Third is among the largest money managers in the Midwest and, as of Mar. 31, 2021, had $464 billion in assets under care, of which it managed $58 billion for individuals, corporations and not-for-profit organizations through its Trust and Registered Investment Advisory businesses. Investor information and press releases can be viewed at http://www.53.com. Fifth Thirds common stock is traded on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol FITB. Fifth Third Bank was established in 1858. Deposit and Credit products are offered by Fifth Third Bank, National Association. Member FDIC.

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Fifth Third Bank Named to Forbes Best Employers for Diversity 2021 List - Business Wire

ST. LOUIS, April 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ --Financial-services firm Edward Jones joined organizations across the U.S. to participate in CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion's third annual "Day of Understanding and Reflection," the business community's largest movement to host candid conversations and help advance diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace.

While CEO Action signatories continue to facilitate conversations with their people year-round, the Day of Understanding and Reflection in April provides leaders across the coalition's 1,600 organizations a collective opportunity to lead open dialogue and inspire change with more than 13 million employees.

Edward Jones invited its 49,000 associates to set aside time from their day-to-day work and learn more about one another's experiences through virtual group discussions, coffee chats, and a variety of other resources.

"At Edward Jones, our purpose is to partner for positive impactto improve the lives of our clients and colleagues, and together, better our communities and society," said Edward Jones Chief Human Resources Officer Kristin Johnson. "This day provided anopportunity for each ofus to spend time sharing,thinking and learning about what we can do to strengthen our sense of belonging for all, especially at a time when our colleagues and communities may be hurting. By encouraging an ongoing dialogue, we are helping to foster cultures of trust and belonging and reinforcing our commitment to greater inclusivity across our organization and the communities we serve."

Through CEO Action, Edward Jones will continue to work with leaders across the coalitionleveraging opportunities for greater collaboration, sharing leading practices and helping one another turn conversation learnings into bold actions. Together, these organizations have the power to change how millions of people talk to their colleagues about tough topics, fostering an inclusive culture and moving the needle toward a more just and equitable future.

In June 2020, Edward Jones bolstered its promise to diversity, equity and inclusion by making a Five-point Commitment to build a culture of belonging for its 49,000 associates and a more equitable world. First among those actions was to give everyone a voice, an experience the firm started in 2017 through a Courageous Conversations program on race and social justice.

These dialogues, which continue to this day, have included thousands of Edward Jones colleagues on topics designed to build empathy and create a deep understanding. This program has been so impactful, that in 2020 Edward Jones began taking these conversations into the communities it serves with community courageous conversations taking place in Kansas City, Raleigh-Durham and St. Louis in 2021.

"While these conversations are happening in our workplaces and communities year-round, this is a collective moment for us as human beings to be intentional and deliberate in how we support one another and through listening, learning and reflection challenge ourselves to build a more diverse, equitable and inclusive society one where everyone is able to be their authentic selves, has access to the same opportunities and feels a sense of belonging. Every Courageous Conversation I have participated in have been life changing for me," Johnson said.

For more information on the Day of Understanding and the "action" behind the CEO Action pledge, please visit http://www.ceoaction.com/dayofunderstanding.

About Edward JonesEdward Jones, a FORTUNE 500 firm headquartered in St. Louis, provides financial services in the U.S. and, through its affiliate, in Canada. Every aspect of the firm's business, from the investments its financial advisors offer to the location of its branch offices caters to individual investors. The firm's 19,000-plus financial advisors serve more than 7 million clients and care for $1.3 trillion in assets under management. The Edward Jones website is at http://www.edwardjones.com, and its recruiting Web site is http://www.careers.edwardjones.com. Member SIPC.

SOURCE Edward Jones

http://www.edwardjones.com

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Edward Jones Joins CEO Action's 'Day of Understanding and Reflection' - PRNewswire

Editors note: This editorial includes discussions of sexual abuse and violence. A list of sexual assault reporting options and on-campus resources can be found on the Notre Dame, Saint Marys and Holy Cross websites.

Last week, a conglomerate of tri-campus groups led by Saint Marys Belles Against Violence Office (BAVO) and Notre Dames Gender Relations Center (GRC) stood with sexual assault survivors and marched against sexual violence during this years Take Back the Night. The event corresponded with the recognition of April as Sexual Assault Awareness Month, a time dedicated to increasing public awareness of issues surrounding sexual assault, promoting educational opportunities and elevating the voices of survivors. This month is also a time to prioritize prevention by advocating for better public policy and cultural practices, in order to protect potential victims and survivors.

The issue of sexual violence is prevalent everywhere not only in our dorms and on our campus but around the world. According to a recent report from the U.K., 97% of women aged 18-24 have experienced sexual harassment. As of 2018, 81% of women in the U.S. have faced sexual harassment. In the U.S., one in six women will experience sexual assault.

Sexual assault also disproportionately affects marginalized communities in the U.S. According to a 2018 investigation by NPR, individuals with intellectual disabilities are seven times more likely to experience sexual violence. In addition, one in five Black women are survivors of sexual assault and over half of Native American women experience sexual violence in their lifetime. To advocate for survivors of sexual violence, we must consider and be aware of the intersections of oppression and rape culture.

While cisgender women are at an elevated risk of sexual violence, this affects many others. For instance, transgender college students are at higher risk for sexual violence. Twenty-one percent of transgender and gender-nonconforming college students have been sexually assaulted, compared to 18% of cisgender women and 4% of cisgender men. Additionally, cisgender men aged 18-24 in college are approximately five times more likely than non-students of the same age to be a victim of rape or sexual assault.

In Notre Dames 2020 campus climate survey, 4% of female respondents and 1% of male respondents indicated they had experienced non-consensual sexual intercourse as a student, and 16% of female students and 4% of male students said they had personally experienced other forms of non-consensual sexual contact while enrolled at Notre Dame.

At Notre Dame, there is limited transparent and accessible data on sexual assault. Because the Notre Dame Police Department operates as a private branch of a private University and not as a public agency, it is exempt by Indiana law from making records on the specific location of reported incidents such as dorms, among other student spaces publicly available.

This decision dates back to November 2016, when the Indiana Supreme Court ruled in favor of NDPD (which was NDSP at the time) in regard to a records request made by ESPN in 2015. The court concluded the department was not a public agency under state law. That same month in 2016, the South Bend Tribune and The Observer filed records requests with the NDSP, all of which the University denied, citing the ruling in the ESPN case.

Earlier that year, however, the Indiana General Assembly had changed the definition of public agency to include private university police departments. This had been the result of a technical printing error that was to be amended. After both the South Bend Tribune and The Observer filed a complaint with the PAC office (Public Access Counselor), it ruled in Notre Dames favor in February 2017. As a result, NDPDs crime log still contains very few details of reported incidents and, at the moment, the department is not required by law to make more specific information publicly available.

Yet having access to such information would better empower our communities to enact effective change and take the necessary steps to prevent future occurrences of sexual assault on our campuses. Thats why were calling upon the University and NDPD to be more transparent with students regarding reported incidents of sexual violence because members of our tri-campus community deserve transparency from the systems designed to protect them. Additionally, we call upon the administrations of Holy Cross College and Saint Marys College to allow for easier public access to sexual assault report data on their respective campuses both colleges have not updated their campus crime statistics since 2019.

As we approach the end of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, we also want to encourage our communities to continue increasing awareness, all year round, about sexual violence and how it relates to the tri-campus community. People in the age range of 18-24 are at higher risk of experiencing sexual violence, an issue that is particularly prevalent at colleges and universities.

But there is more to rape culture than sexual assault. Combating rape culture also involves shutting down language that perpetuates sexual violence which can take many forms, including derogatory jokes and off-handed comments that blame victims or make light of sexual assault. It involves being active bystanders even in spaces not commonly thought to be dangerous, because you never know what someone has been through and how that kind of atmosphere affects them. Most importantly, it means continuing to support survivors. Stand up against a culture of silence by listening to and believing survivors.

Next year, there will be two class years of undergraduate students who have never experienced a non-pandemic semester. Given the potential for a return to a more typical dorm and off-campus social and party culture, we strongly urge our tri-campus community to be intentional in protecting and caring for each other, especially our rising first-years and sophomores, in order to foster a safer, more welcoming community.

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Observer Editorial: Speak up, this and every month - Observer Online

Grant Johnson said it was his brother, Mitchell Johnson, who started helping a family friend's daughter take care of Clydesdale horses.

Eventually, Grant Johnson's parents, Dennis and Linda Johnson of Springfield bought their first Clydesdale in 1990. The family stable, Linden Clydes, still has seven of the iconic horses.

Grant Johnson now works full-time for Anheuser-Busch-In Bev's eastern hitch of Clydesdales in Merrimack, New Hampshire, but he's back in Springfield this week for the 2021 National Clydesdale Sale that begins a three-day run at the Illinois State Fairgrounds beginning Thursday.

The sale is open to the public, Johnson said.

Johnson said his entire family, including another brother, Dustin from Morton, volunteers with the sale, which has a connection to Springfield and the fairgrounds going back to the mid-1980s.

"We'll do whatever we can to help the association and sale be successful," Grant Johnson said by phone earlier this week. "My parents are barn managers. They oversee the stalling and they do a lot for the association. This is unpaid work, but it's a passion.

"It's exciting to be back here. When you know the facility, you feel comfortable. It feels natural. We know staff on a first-name basis. It's great to have that home-base feeling."

Scott Dahl, director of the Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau, said the sale is expected to attract about 2,000 to 3,000 attendees, still a little lighter from previous years because of concerns surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic and travel.

Dahl said other shows at the fairgrounds are on the horizon, including the Palomino World Championships July 6-16 and in 2022 and 2023, the National Appaloosa Show in 2022 and the American Truck Historical Society National Convention and Truck Show in 2023.

Springfield is also in the running for the Goodguys Rod & Custom Association national auto show, "a Bloomington Gold" type show as far as scope, Dahl said.

Most of those scheduled shows, Dahl added, were born out of an intentional partnership and collaboration between the SCVB and fairgrounds sales teams.

Some them, like the Clydesdales sale, had a history in Springfield, but had left for other cities. In more recent years, that show has been in Decatur, Lake St. Louis, Missouri and Shipshewana, Indiana, but sales teams in Springfield were able to "prospect" shows, that is, roll out out the welcome mat, for a return, Dahl said.

The fact that sales teams from the SCVB and the fairgrounds didn't furlough people because of the pandemic, Dahl added, kept the lines of communication open and in the end paid dividends.

Grant Johnson said the fairgrounds' facilities and stalling, including the Livestock Center, are probably "a significant reason why (the sale) came back here.

"The fairgrounds are immaculate and met the association's needs. A lot of exhibitors and breeders come from Canada, so Springfield is centrally located. There are plenty of hotels and restaurants. That's why it was here for so long (to begin with)."

The Clydesdale sale will include horse-related clothing, harness, barn and show supplies, wagons and trailers. There will be educational seminars on a variety of topics relating to owning and showing Clydesdale horses.

The Clydesdales' reputation, Johnson said, was built on what Anheuser-Busch and Budweiser did for the breed and marketing think St. Louis Cardinals baseball opening day, Super Bowl commercials or the Illinois State Fair parade.

But even Johnson admitted that Belgian and Percheron horses are more popular draught horses. Amish communities still use them for farming and in the show world and competitive world, people prefer both to Clydesdales.

A day's ration for the horses, which weigh between 1,800 and 2,300 pounds each, is 25 quarts of grain, 50 pounds of hay and 30 gallons of water.

The Clydesdales are a lot more work because of the white, flowing hairs on their legs, also called feathers.

"You have to wash the feathers every day," said Johnson, who oversees 10 Clydesdales in New Hampshire. "If you go into the show world, you have to do additional work to keep those feathers nice and clean."

In a normal year, Johnson, a former event administrator at the University of Illinois Springfield, spends about 40 weeks on the road with the hitch team.

Dahl said looking to 2022 and beyond, Springfield's convention bookings look "very strong. Our 2022 is shaping to look like (pre-COVID) 2019."

Dahl said the industry will see domestic leisure travel starting in June and moving through the summer, with anticipation that international travel returns some time in 2022.

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Clydesdale sale returns to Springfield State Fairgrounds; more shows on the way - Cedar Valley Daily Times

Thursday, April 22, 2021 | 2 a.m.

The conviction of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin in the killing of George Floyd provided a moments respite in a nation whose justice system has repeatedly failed to hold law enforcement officers accountable for abuses of authority against people of color.

But while the verdict offered a victory to build on in the quest for social justice, the exceptional circumstances that led to Chauvins conviction demonstrated how much more work needs to be done.

The jury arrived at the right outcome, but only after what President Joe Biden correctly identified as a unique and extraordinary convergence of factors in the trial.

This was a case involving massive amounts of evidence of a murder committed by an officer with clearly criminal intent. His actions were so obviously malicious and inappropriate that members of his own department broke the blue line to condemn them. This was about as well-documented and open-and-shut instance of intentional killing by a police officer as can be imagined. As the president of the nations largest police union said in reaction to the verdict, As we have said from the beginning, what Derek Chauvin did that day was not policing, it was murder.

And thats what it took to get a guilty verdict, leaving uncertainty about whether justice will be served in other cases with less overwhelming evidence.

The conviction let America issue a sigh of relief, but only because the alternative would have been beyond contemplation. An acquittal would have revealed our justice system as being fundamentally broken.

Still, the verdict was a step forward for justice, with the potential to further inspire Americans to press for enduring, systemic change.

That partly involves addressing police reforms from a legislative basis, by not only requiring departments to meet higher standards on use of force, training, hiring and screening, etc., but giving them the resources they need to make these improvements.

It also involves supporting leaders who recognize the imperative for progress on equality something that Southern Nevadans have been particularly wise about. In recent years, weve sent conscientious lawmakers to Carson City and Washington, D.C., where they have supported numerous equal-justice measures. Those include a sweeping package of judicial reforms at the state level in 2019 to undo policies from the War on Drugs era that resulted in mass incarceration of minorities in Nevada and across the nation. This year, lawmakers are considering several similar bills, including one that would reform police use-of-force policies and one that would decriminalize minor traffic offenses, which often lead to incarceration for low-income individuals because of their inability to pay fines.

Those are just a few examples of areas where Nevada is headed in the right direction.

Last summer, we saw another sign of progress when thousands of Las Vegas residents of all ages and ethnicities joined Black Lives Matter demonstrators in communities around the world to demand change. For those individuals and all like them, the Chauvin verdict offers a breath of wind in the sails of this movement.

Think of the joy we felt when those three guilty verdicts were read. This is the joy we could feel every day in a country where everyone can feel equally protected under the law and equally valued in society.

Unfortunately, were a long way from reaching that point. Systemic racism still plagues America, as we see it not only in the way minority communities are policed but in the wealth gap between whites and people of color, in gross discrepancies in health outcomes among minorities compared with whites, in relatively poor quality of public schools that serve communities of color, and in far too many other ways.

But the Chauvin verdict showed that the ideal of American justice remains attainable as long as we continue to seek it and the path to equality remains open as long as were willing to walk it.

Lets keep moving.

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Chauvin trial offers nation relief but shows how far we still have to go - Las Vegas Sun

George Floyds death last May set off a ripple effect that spread across the globe, culminating in mass protests, cultural and political reckonings on race, and, on Tuesday, a rare conviction for the officer who killed him.

Bringing criminal charges and securing convictions against officers is notoriously difficult. From 2005 through June 2019, 20 out of 104 police officers charged with murder or manslaughter for on-duty shootings in the U.S. were convicted through a jury trial, according to a study from Bowling Green State University.

After a three-week trial, it took a jury about 10 hours to reach the unanimous decision to convict former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin of all three charges against him, including second degree murder.

The prosecutions case rested on a rare confluence of strong video evidence and damning testimony, including from the Minneapolis chief of police and a number of eyewitnesses.

In the aftermath of the verdict loom familiar questions about what it means and what comes next. Several criminal justice experts, including a former federal prosecutor and a former police chief, talked to the PBS NewsHour about what made this case stand out and what they see as the necessary steps toward greater accountability.

The 9-minute and 29-second video of Chauvin pressing his knee into Floyds neck became a signature piece of evidence in the trial.

In police-involved killings where there is video evidence, the footage is often blurry, showing frantic or quick movements, or an obstructed view, said Andrea Headley, an assistant professor who specializes in criminal justice policy at Georgetown University.

During the 2016 police shooting of Philando Castile in Minnesota, for instance, grainy police dash cam video captured Castile handing over his license to officer Jeronimo Yanez through his car window before saying, Sir, I have to tell you, I do have a firearm on me. Yanez is then heard warning Castile not to reach for the gun, before firing multiple shots in the car where Castiles girlfriend, Diamond Reynolds, and her four-year-old daughter were passengers. Castiles actions leading up to the shooting were out of view, and ultimately, a jury acquitted Yanez of all charges.

MORE: New federal action and greater calls for change follow Chauvin trial, conviction

In Chauvins case, the principle video shot by a 17-year-old bystander was clear and relatively still. It was almost like someones watching a movie, Headley said, speaking to the quality of the bystander video. I think having that video evidence in such a clear, distinct way, where you can see the vivid act of George Floyd losing his life slowly happening over time that evidence in and of itself is compelling.

Floyd can be seen telling the officers he cant breathe and calling out for his mother.

It was so long, so painful. I think that was super significant. It was a grisly death in a vicious time, during a pandemic, said Lenese Herbert, a former federal prosecutor who teaches criminal law and procedure at Howard University.

During the trial, prosecutors also showed video from police body cameras that allowed jurors to see multiple perspectives of Floyds murder, said Carol Archbold, professor of criminal justice at North Dakota State University. The video from officers Thomas Lane, J. Alexander Kueng and Tou Thao, who have also been charged in Floyds killing, showed the officers struggling to get handcuffed Floyd into a police car. Later, when Floyd is on the ground, the video showed Lane asking Chauvin twice whether they should roll Floyd on his side. Chauvin, whose knee was on Floyd, said no. At another point, Kueng can be seen checking Floyd for a pulse and telling Chauvin he cannot feel one, but Chauvins knee remains on Floyds neck.

Experts said the prosecution used the video footage and witness testimony effectively during the trial.

Even with the amount of video, the odds were still stacked against the prosecution given the low conviction rates for officers, said Hassan Aden, former chief of police for the Greenville Police Department in North Carolina who has served as a monitor for court agreements with police departments that mandate reforms.

The prosecution had an all-star team of lawyers, Aden said, led by Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, who did not speak in court. Ellison, a civil rights attorney prior to becoming attorney general, assembled a group of local prosecutors and outside attorneys to work on the case.

MORE: Examining the police shootings of Black Americans and how leadership plays a role

The prosecutions case reflected an intentional use of video and a range of witnesses to lay out the timeline and the facts, Aden said. This includes highlighting how Chauvins actions in the video departed from the Minneapolis Police Departments policies and training.

One point of criticism throughout the trial that Herbert believes helped prosecutors is the invocation of the Minnesota Nice demeanor when questioning witnesses or challenging the defense. That cultural attitude of niceness in Minnesota has been accused of perpetuating a dismissal of racism in the community. But in this case, Herbert said it may have helped the prosecution connect with the jury.

The kind of prosecution and defense that is OK in some jurisdictions like the District of Columbia, for example, thats much more aggressive, much more in-your-face does not go over well in jurisdictions where the notion of politeness and gentleness and kindness are more significant, Herbert said.

Prosecutors presented a range of testimony, including emotional eye witnesses, first responders, medical experts and current members of the Minneapolis Police Department.

The defense team also called eye witnesses and medical experts in its attempt to claim that Floyd resisted arrest and that carbon monoxide exposure, a tumor in Floyds lower abdomen and fentanyl and methamphetamine in his system contributed to his death.

At one point, the defense called Minneapolis Park Police officer Peter Chang, who responded to the scene during Floyds arrest. He testified that the crowd grew more loud and aggressive toward officers, saying that he was concerned for their safety.

The defense tried to make some of the bystanders almost be responsible for the situation, Archbold said. I think that the prosecution did a really good job being able to show the video and you can hear the desperation in the voices of the people who are standing there watching this occur.

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Charles McMillian, a 61-year-old eyewitness, began to cry on the stand while watching video of the incident, telling the court I feel helpless.

Perhaps most significant for prosecutors was testimony from Minneapolis police chief Medaria Arradondo, the departments medical training coordinator Officer Nicole Mackenzie, and Sgt. Jody Stiger, a use of force expert with the Los Angeles Police Department.

Arradondo said Chauvin violated policy in kneeling on Floyds neck, offering a rare public condemnation by a police chief of his own officer.

Once Mr. Floyd had stopped resisting, and certainly once he was in distress and trying to verbalize that, that should have stopped, Arradondo said during the trial.

Deborah Ramirez, a law professor with Northeastern University, said testimony of officers against one of their own is incredibly rare.

[Arradondo] crossed the blue line and walked into that courtroom and told the jury this is not what were trained to do, and then went through explicitly what [Chauvin] should have done and what he didnt do.

Criminal justice experts noted the significance of the Chauvin trial verdict, both in terms of the difficulty in prosecuting police and what this outcome means for the families of victims and members of communities that are disproportionately affected by police use of force.

I think that the world can breathe now, because they all stood behind George through a pandemic, through COVID marching. And justice for George means freedom for all, Floyds brother Philonise Floyd told PBS NewsHour correspondent Yamiche Alcindor the day after Chauvins conviction.

On Wednesday, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland announced an investigation into the policies and practices of the Minneapolis Police Department.

When it comes to addressing police use of force on a systemic level, government officials and law enforcement agencies need to be less reactive and more focused on preventing and detecting these incidents before they occur, Ramirez said.

READ MORE: Democrats police reform bill faces opposition in the Senate but thats only the first hurdle

Headley described the prosecution of officers as an important back-end mechanism for police accountability, but emphasized the need for front-end solutions that will prevent unnecessary violence in the first place. Proposals for those solutions are highly debated and vary widely. Some activists want to dismantle and rebuild police departments. Others want to reallocate police funding for non-law enforcement services.

Ramirez supports mandating that officers hold professional liability insurance, that would rise in cost when officers engage in malpractice like using excessive force. Herbert said the Supreme Court can play a role by weighing in on the qualified immunity doctrine it created that legally protects public officials like police officers when performing discretionary functions of their jobs.

Headley said federal legislation and guidance will be important given the countrys fragmented policing system, comprising more than 18,000 departments. The Democratic-controlled House passed a major policing reform bill in March known as the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act. The bill would lower the legal standard required to convict an officer for misconduct, establish a national database to track police misconduct and provide grants to help states conduct investigations into alleged constitutional abuses by law enforcement. It has not received a vote in the Senate.

Experts said the nationwide conversations and protests sparked by Floyds murder may keep criminal justice solutions at the forefront of peoples minds.

Theres a lot of work to be done, Archbold said. I think that really requiring our government to step in and make real sweeping changes is the only way that were going to see a change. Because what weve been doing is not working.

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3 things that led to Chauvin's conviction, and what experts say is needed for more police accountability - PBS NewsHour