Minneapolis Star Tribune: Prof. Copeland Weighs in on “Conviction of Derek Chauvin”

In the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Assistant Professor Phillipe Copeland shares his expertise on the Chauvin verdict.

A world without racism. This is the mission that drives Assistant Professor Phillipe Copeland‘s teaching, scholarship, and service. “A world without racism requires building the will and skill necessary to achieve it,” he explains. “This includes creating, sharing and applying knowledge, developing critical thinking, emotional intelligence, and moral stamina, and engaging in mindful, principled, competent action.”

Excerpted from “Conviction of Derek Chauvin: A Moment of Victory Amid a History of Injustice,” (Minneapolis Star Tribune, April 21, 2021) by Reid Forgrave and Maya Rao:

It was far from a unanimous moment of elation, but many racial equality advocates took a moment to soak in what they saw as a rare instance of justice for Black Americans … On Tuesday morning in Boston, Phillipe Copeland stood in his kitchen and burst into tears. As an assistant director at Boston University’s Center for Antiracist Research, Copeland has spent a lot of time thinking about the meaning of this moment, and its heaviness. The uncertainty of justice, the constant tensions of being a Black man in America — weighed on him. When he watched the verdict being read, it brought a strange feeling: numbness. The verdict didn’t bring back Floyd. The verdict didn’t suddenly cure the generations of dehumanization that burdened him. But it was something.”

Read the full story here at the Minneapolis Star Tribune.