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On this morning after the verdict, I’m thinking back to the case of Walter McMillian, who was on death row in Alabama. Walter was the subject of the book (and movie) “Just Mercy.” On the day of the crime for which he was to be electrocuted to death, Walter was working on his truck in the morning and attending a family barbecue in the afternoon. He never went to town that day and there were dozens of witnesses to that effect. His conviction was based on a jailhouse snitch and a laughably inaccurate description of what was supposed to be his truck.
So the story — as appalling as it was — wasn’t just about Walter. It was also about his community. None of the Black witnesses who attested to his clear innocence were believed by the (nearly) all-White jury. These exercises of power were not — and are not — simply about getting convictions against individuals. It’s about terrorizing entire communities. Your word is no good if you have the wrong skin color. The word of your friends and family is no good. We can do what we want to you. Have a problem with that? No problem. We’ll put you on the list.
I don’t think the George Floyd case would have been any different than the Walter McMillian case, except for the video. All of those witnesses who cried out at what they saw, felt guilty that they could not help, and will be traumatized for the rest of their lives? They are Black and they would not have been believed. They saw a murder, and the Minneapolis police department was ready to file it away as a “medical event” that was just some bad luck for Mr. Floyd.
We’ve made some progress, as of today. But there’s a long way to go.