St. Cloud Community Organizers React To Chauvin Verdict

(KNSI) – St. Cloud community organizers are reacting to the conviction of a former Minneapolis Police Officer for murdering George Floyd.

Too Much Talent founder Lenora Hunt helped organize a vigil last Friday in memory of Daunte Wright, who was killed in Brooklyn Center while the trial against former cop Derek Chauvin was ongoing.

Hunt says she was relieved by the verdict, but more needs to be done.

“Personally, I still feel like we still fight, and I feel bad because there are still children dying by a policeman’s hand. So, my mind is on a whole different level with it. It’s sad occasions, and it’s sad that we basically have to go through this again, and it never stops. It’s just being filmed now.”

At the same time that the Chauvin verdict was announced in Minneapolis, a teenage girl was shot and killed by police in Columbus, Ohio.

Too Much Talent Executive Director and Community Organizer Nita Jones felt like she could breathe again after hearing the verdict and hopes others recognize that systemic racism is real.

“I felt like it finally opened the eyes of people who’ve been in denial, or being blind or just unaware. And I feel like it exposed the reality that racism still exists and that there are still problems in the system that we need to fix.”

Both women are looking forward to what’s next when it comes to police reform.

Hunt says she would like to see police departments partially defunded and that money used for reform.

“I feel like they need more training. I feel like these six to eight weeks they’re getting is not enough training. And also to put some of that money towards education. They need therapy. You can’t just put police out there without therapy, and even if it’s just to see if they’re fit to be an officer. So, they need to put funds into that so we can have both better police officers and we can feel safe.”

Jones says reform is about more than Derek Chauvin.

“It’s about law enforcement in general. And that we need long-term viable police plans and programs. And I’m also in support of the George Floyd Policing Act.”

The George Floyd Police Act aims to end specific police techniques, including chokeholds and carotid holds, two forms of potentially deadly force.

The practices would be banned at the federal level, and federal funding for police would be conditioned on departments adopting the law.

The bill also seeks to improve police training and invest in community programs designed to improve policing and promote equitable new policies.

Too Much Talent (2MT) was created to help youth develop a sense of competence and engage in identity work. They envision a program having a positive influence on everyday lives to strengthen families and our community, according to 2MT’s website.

The organization says they exist to make a difference – to be a valuable resource in the lives of those who are not in the best of situations.

2MT uses the arts so youth will gain knowledge to combat abuse (physical, mental, verbal, sexual, etc.), chemical dependency, and the influence of gangs.

The group also teaches self-esteem, positive communication skills, healthy family, relationships, and living.

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