Following Chauvin Verdict, Much Work Remains

The nation breathed a deep sigh of relief this week with the conviction of Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin for the depraved murder of George Floyd. The jury’s verdict provided a measure of much-needed accountability for Floyd’s family, friends and supporters, and just as importantly highlighted how much work remains in addressing the country’s long and painful history of racial injustice and division.

“We can take some comfort in the conviction of Derek Chauvin that justice was served, but we can’t get comfortable about the larger and more entrenched problem of systemic racism, inequity and injustice that still permeates our institutions, laws and society,” said Jim Wunderman, President and CEO of the Bay Area Council. “We must remain fully committed to elevating racial equity and racial justice in all aspects of our society and economy.”

The Bay Area Council through its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee is working to address these systemic issues. We are partnering with the Silicon Valley Leadership Group on its Pledge 25×25 initiative to increase diversity on company boards and in company executive offices. We have adopted our own goals for increasing racial diversity in our leadership and staff. We are advocating for legislation to address historic inequities in housing, transportation, education and healthcare, among other areas. And we are partnering with other groups to expand workforce training and opportunities for minority communities. To learn more about our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee, please contact Policy Manager Leslie Alfaro.