The Derek Chauvin verdict is cathartic, but tackling racial inequality requires a radical rethink of criminal justice
At last year’s Conservative party conference, while the largest anti-racism protests in Britain’s history were taking place across the country, the former home secretary, Sajid Javid, declared that Black Lives Matter is “not a force for good”. This week, following the outcome of the trial of Derek Chauvin, the former police officer who was found guilty of the murder of George Floyd, Javid tweeted triumphantly: “Black lives matter”.
Although this about-turn may seem counterintuitive, it’s perfectly consistent with the government’s position on racism. Rather than reflecting on the demands for systemic change made by Black Lives Matter protesters, Britain’s political class has championed the role of the courts in punishing individual perpetrators of racial violence. Similar celebrations took place when the killers of Stephen Lawrence were eventually found guilty of murder, even though the Police Federation remained in denial about the institutional racism that characterised its response to his death. Viewed from the perspective that racism is an issue of a few bad apples rather than a structural or institutional problem, the single guilty verdict of an individual police officer in the US is something to celebrate. But can criminal prosecutions and prisons ever really deliver racial justice?
Continue reading...from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3veIzP7
