May 25, 2021
Brandon Williams will never forget the phone calls. For years, starting around 11 p.m and sometimes lasting 90 minutes, Williams and his uncle, George Floyd, would catch up on all that night’s NBA action. From the frustrating hometown Rockets to mini miracles acted out by LeBron James or Russell Westbrook (two of Floyd’s favorite stars), they sifted through it all.
Growing up under the same roof in the Third Ward, Williams and his uncle who was more of a father figure bonded over all sports. But basketball was the game they both played in college. Rehashing the NBA’s evening slate eventually served as a way for them to preserve their connection, first when Williams went off to attend Utah State University Eastern, and, a few years later, after Floyd caught a bus up to Minneapolis to try to get his life back on track.
MY EDMONDS NEWS Posted: April 24, 2021 69
Black in Edmonds moderator Alicia Crank, top row-far left, with top row panelists (L-R) Dedie Davis and Mike Schindler; Mark Davis, Adam Cornell and Sally Guzmán, middle row; and Micah Tolbert and Darnesha Weary, bottom row.
What started as a conversation about how a former Minneapolis police officer was held accountable for the death of a Black man ended with a call for Edmonds residents and elected officials to hold themselves, their family and friends accountable to ensure the city is welcoming to people of color.
The venue for this discussion was the latest Black in Edmonds online panel discussion, hosted by Edmonds resident Alicia Crank, and the topic was “After the Verdict.” Using the Tuesday murder and manslaughter convictions of former police officer Derek Chauvin as a backdrop, Crank encouraged panelists to examine how the death of George Floyd has specifically impacted Edmonds during the past year.
In their own words: Oregon activists, politicians react to Derek Chauvin conviction
Updated 8:57 PM;
Today 6:56 PM
FILE Thousands gather at Pioneer Square in downtown Portland for the sixth day of demonstrations for equal rights and protesting against racial injustice in the wake of the death of George Floyd, a black man killed by police in Minneapolis. Sean Meagher/Staff
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Oregon activists and elected officials reacted in masse Tuesday after jurors convicted a former Minneapolis police officer of the murder of George Floyd, a Black man who died after the officer knelt on his neck for more than nine minutes.
Thoughts On the Chauvin Trial and Verdict
I watched most, not all, of the Derek Chauvin trial and have followed the story closely over the last year. These are some of my thoughts on what has proved to be one of the most consequential criminal prosecutions in American history. This entire case could not have happened just 10 or 15 years ago. The prosecution was driven by the global phenomenon of a bystander video that was posted to social media. In years gone by, there would have been no controversy. George Floyd would have been recorded as the 5,000th or so opioid death in Minnesota.
In their own words: Oregon activists, politicians react to Derek Chauvin conviction msn.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from msn.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.