The following message was released this evening by Maria Cristalli, Hillside President and CEO.
On May 25, 2020, a terrible crime was committed in Minneapolis, Minnesota. For millions of people around the country and around the world, the murder of George Floyd was heartbreaking and infuriating—and our grief and outrage were magnified by the thought that so many other men and women of color continued to meet similar fates.
A jury has now returned three guilty verdicts in the trial against the man whose actions caused Mr. Floyd’s death. Those verdicts can’t erase the pain of what happened that day. They can’t single-handedly remove the deep-rooted stain of systemic racism that has been made evident by the deaths of Mr. Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Daniel Prude, Daunte Wright, and too many others.
One jury’s decision can’t undo generations of pain and injustice, but it remains an important step in the right direction. People everywhere needed to know that the justice system is capable of taking a stand for that which is simply, inarguably wrong.
The women and men of Hillside see every day the effects of systemic inequalities that are disproportionately felt by Black and Brown people. That perspective, and our commitment to our mission, drive us to make a difference—and that difference is felt every day, in so many ways and in so many homes, schools and communities.
Humanity prevailed today. What happens tomorrow is up to all of us.