NYC Department of Veterans’ Services Commissioner on the Derek Chauvin Verdict

The continued firmament of a multiracial, multiethnic, multicultural democracy is our generation’s fight.

Since the founding of our nation, Americans from groups that have been historically oppressed or discriminated against who serve in the military almost all ask themselves, at some point, deep down inside, “Why us? Why are we disproportionately treated this way? What did we as a group do to you?” There are logical, fact-based answers to these questions — all rooted in America’s history — and ways to systemically characterize things that remove emotion. The feelings behind these thoughts — the soul-searching meditation on the question of “why” — remains the same.

To this point, the recent verdict in Minneapolis, Minnesota, for which Derek Chauvin was found guilty of murdering George Floyd accomplishes three things.

One, it underscores every Soldier, Sailor, Marine, Airman, and Coast Guardsman’s resolve to fight and die for this country even when those of us who are underrepresented — particularly those of us who are Black — feel its proverbial knee on the back of our necks. We believe in everything that America can be, and we fight for it no matter what.

Two, the verdict and the battle for justice leading up to it remind us fundamentally that, not only in terms of national security but also domestically, freedom is not free. No one has yet to fully resolve the American experiment. The act of ensuring that the United States is a place where everyone — regardless of race, gender, religion, ethnicity, national origin, disability, age, or sexual orientation — can equally excel is an ongoing struggle. It is ill-informed to believe that work no longer needs to be done on this endeavor. Every generation has fought towards this. The continued firmament of a multiracial, multiethnic, multicultural democracy is our generation’s fight.

Three, steps forward like this take some — just some — of the sting away from meditative questions rooted in “Why?” It signals that the country is slowly moving towards being a place where my life as a Black person has value equal to that of someone else. This equation was never in balance for our ancestors. Currently, it is not in balance for most people who look like me. I have hope because, one travail at a time, we are taking measures towards making this a reality for our descendants — and future Minority Veterans.

- James Hendon, Commissioner of the New York City Department of Veterans’ Services