As the second and third-degree murder trial of Derek Chauvin, the police officer accused in the murder of George Floyd, comes to a close, let us join together to continue to honor the memory of the man taken before his time; a man whose death came by the hands of a policeman whose job was to serve and protect. Mr. Floyd’s untimely death sparked months of civil protest and unrest around the globe, with the battle cry “Black Lives Matter” and “I can’t breathe.”

As we witnessed this historic trial, we also must continue to remember and steel our sensibilities from the untruths. Stay strong for his family, especially his young daughter, for they will need our goodwill, prayers, and empathy.

We can imagine that during these upcoming days and weeks, activists and supporters will peacefully take to the streets in unity and a continued call for justice, racial equity, and police accountability. But there will also be agitators, people whose sole purpose is to disrupt peaceful gatherings and cause further division. Let’s not allow them the power to take away our message. Stay organized, collected, and focused on the greater goal: demanding justice.

There will be an overflow of emotion during this time, as we push forward in our mission for Civil Rights. We ask that our allies understand that being Black in America is like wearing two faces: a face of undying strength, and a face of trepidation and sorrow. Each of these faces will be on full display as this trial closes, and for an unseen future. We must continue to work together as an organization and community to fight the fight for Justice, Equality and Inclusion in not just Fairfax County but the entire Commonwealth of Virginia.