‘Today is a win’: La Salle County activists react to Derek Chauvin guilty verdicts

About 10 months ago, Angel Patterson and Sandy Brown led a march across Streator that became 50 people strong calling for justice for George Floyd, the 46-year-old Black man who died in Minneapolis police custody.

Soon after, 18-year-old Paiziah Chounard of Peru organized rallies and marches in La Salle and Ottawa, calling for police reform. Patterson and Brown also organized rallies and marches in Ottawa, La Salle and Princeton, including a Juneteenth celebration and a community picnic for racial equality.

Jibril Church of La Salle attended many of these events, hosted his own event about understanding racism and made black and blue wristbands he shared with Ottawa police.

Tuesday, each of these local activists acknowledged a victory in their movement for racial equality.

Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was convicted Tuesday of murder and manslaughter for pinning Floyd to the pavement with his knee on Floyd’s neck.

“It is justice for George Floyd and victory for his family and all Americans that stood up for him,” said Patterson, of Ottawa.

“It’s a step in the right direction,” Chounard said.

“[Tuesday] is a win and I look forward to this being the beginning of steps toward racial equality,” Church said.

“I think it’s a small victory but we still have a long road ahead of us,” said Brown, of Streator.

When it was announced earlier Tuesday the jury had returned its verdict and there would be a couple of hours before it was read, Patterson said she was nervous.

Church said he tried to step away from following the trial to give him some space from it, but it was impossible Tuesday morning when his father called him and asked what he thought was going to happen.

Chounard, Church and Patterson watched and listened as the verdict was broadcast.

“It was a sigh of relief,” Chounard said. “I didn’t know for sure if he was going to get convicted.”

Church’s response was, “Wow. Wow.”

He further explained, a guilty verdict made a statement for racial equality and justice.

“We should understand that nobody, no matter what their background is, is guilty enough to be killed in the streets, that’s not the job of the police,” Church said. “This isn’t the Old West laws. People have a right to be arrested, charged and receive due process of a trial. And I don’t know why that’s a concept we still had to fight for.”

Patterson said she was full of emotions Tuesday.

“Being Black in America should not be a death sentence,” she said. “[Tuesday’s] verdict shows justice can be served for all and it also shows just because you are the law doesn’t mean you’re above the law. George Floyd was a human being, which means his life mattered. If you see something that’s unethical don’t be silent. It’s time to break every chain of discrimination. Just like the nation came together for this case.”

Patterson, who is the organizer and coordinator at A&S Activist with Brown, is hopeful the guilty verdict made a social statement. She said the verdict was what her and other protestors had worked hard to see over the summer.

“I hope this will open the eyes and hearts of other police officer who may have the same unjust attitude like Chauvin,” she said. “I am hopeful that they will think before using excessive force. Like the prosecutor stated during closing arguments ‘George didn’t die because his heart was too large, but because Chauvin’s heart was too small.’ ”

And with that social statement, she hopes it will bring about social change.

“Maybe the stereotypical attitudes from some office toward Black and brown men and woman will end,” she said. “It’s time for equality and for everyone to be treated within the rules of the law. We want people to judge with their heart and not their difference because we are Black. We are born Black, we will die Black, but we don’t want to die because we are Black.”

While she acknowledged Tuesday was a step in the direction, Chounard said there is more work to be done.

“We’re still far from the finish line for racial equality. We still need police reforms,” Chounard said.

The organizers said reforms recently passed by the Illinois government, which ends cash bail at the discretion of judges and calls for all police to wear body cameras by 2025, among other actions, only begin to scrape the surface of what needs to be done.

Chounard said she plans on hosting more local protests, more fundraisers and lifting up Black causes, while pushing for police reforms and systemic reform.

She said Empire 13 and Illinois Valley Black Lives Matter are hosting a protest 2 p.m. May 15 at La Salle City Hall to “join the fight to end white supremacy” and protest two police officers who have openly endorsed QAnon, a right-wing conspiracy group.

Church believed the meaning of the verdict shouldn’t be lost.

“I’m looking forward to it reviving cases where other officers were found not guilty, I’m looking forward to finding justice in the next cases,” Church said.

The verdict gave a boost to the message for racial equality.

“I’m glad, hopefully this is a turning point,” said Ashton Circelle, who serves as a team member of A&S Activist. “Maybe rather than empowering these racists something will finally send a message. We’re not going to stand by and watch any longer.”