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Rev. Sharpton, Floyd family attorney Ben Crump give remarks after Chauvin sentence

Rev. Al Sharpton and George Floyd's family attorney Ben Crump gave remarks outside the Hennepin County Government Center in Minnesota following Derek Chauvin's sentence.

MINNEAPOLIS - Following the sentencing of former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd, Rev. Al Sharpton spoke out alongside the Floyd familys attorney Ben Crump, noting that the sentence of more than two decades exceeded their expectations, but fell short of what the family felt was justice.

"This verdict and this sentencing is the longest sentence weve seen but it is not justice because George Floyd is in a grave tonight even though Chauvin will be in jail. So let us not feel we are here to celebrate because justice would have been George Floyd never having been killed," Sharpton said.

"Justice would have been the maximum. We got more than we thought only because we have been disappointed so many times before," Sharpton said.

"Twenty-two and a half years is longer than weve ever gotten but shorter than what we should have gotten in the past. Let us remember, a man lost his life. This is not a prayer of celebration, its a prayer to thank God for giving this strength that is family and those activists that stayed in the streets to make sure that this court had to do what was right," Sharpton said.

FILE - People surround civil rights lawyer and lead attorney for the George Floyd family, Benjamin Crump (C-R), and Reverend Al Sharpton (C-L) as well as Floyd family members, after the sentencing of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, o

RELATED: Derek Chauvin sentence: 22.5 years in prison for murder of George Floyd

Crump said the sentence represented the opportunity for a "turning point" in America.

"We want to acknowledge all of the people who used their voice to say his name," Crump said, to which a crowd shouted, "George Floyd."

"This is the longest sentence that a police officer has ever been sentenced to in the history of the state of Minnesota. But this should not be the exception where a Black person is killed by brutality by police, it should be the norm. So when we think about real justice, real justice would be George Floyd would still be here with his family," Crump said.

"So what we got today was some measure of accountability and we understand theres still federal charges pending. So as his brothers and his family asks for the maximum, were still holding out for the maximum," Crump said.

Chauvin, 45, was sentenced to 22 1/2 years in prison for pressing his knee to Floyds throat for up to 9 1/2 minutes on May 25, 2020, as the Black man gasped that he couldnt breathe before dying.

Judge Peter Cahill sentenced former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin to 22.5 years in prison for the murder of George Floyd. Chauvin will get credit for 199 days served in prison.

RELATED: George Floyd's brother to Chauvin: Why? What were you thinking?

In April, a Hennepin County jury found Chauvin guilty of all three counts he was facing for his role in Floyds death: second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. However, Chauvin was only sentenced on the most serious of those charges, second-degree unintentional murder. Chauvin's sentence is an upward departure from the presumptive sentence of 150 months, or 12 1/2 years, in prison that charge carries.

"What the sentence is not based on is emotion or sympathy, but at the same time I want to acknowledge the deep and tremendous pain that all the families are feeling, especially the Floyd family," Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill said before handing down the sentence. "You have our sympathies."

Floyds death sparked conversations about race and policing nationwide. As a result, the Justice Department has launched a sweeping civil investigation into the patterns and practices of the Minneapolis Police Department.

The Associated Press and Fox 9 contributed to this report.

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Sharpton on Derek Chauvin sentence: 'Justice would have been the maximum' - KTVU San Francisco

photo: literati

Whether its green energy or the greenery of the great outdoors, the Austin tech sector is making new moves in industries across the board. Read more for the latest. This is the Built In Austin weekly refresh.

EnergyX plans to hire 100.Green energy is a topic that is growing in popularity across the country, so battery developer EnergyX is planning to scale its team and presence. The startup specializes in sustainable lithium tech to create greener solid-state batteries. Its looking to build its Energy Innovation Lab in either Austin, Boston, Miami or Silicon Valley and plans to expand its team as well across several roles. [Built In Austin]

Markaaz teamed up with Equifax.The company offers SMBs a platform that helps them expand their business by managing suppliers, improving cash flow and growing their customer base. It announced a partnership with global data and analytics company Equifax and plans to leverage its newly acquired fraud prevention tech to help businesses mitigate operational risk. [PR Newswire]

We are heartened by the wide-ranging support we have received from investors, who recognize the great potential of Zengers model to generate the highest quality news as well as significant returns. $10 million is a huge raise for a Series Seed in a media-tech startup, and therefore a huge vote of confidence. Richard Miniter, Zenger CEO

Zenger raised $10M.The company offers news outlets free written and video content produced by its network of journalists. Its revenue comes from connecting advertisers to content through an open bidding process. With its seed funding from names like Jean-Guillaume de Tocqueville and Al Sharpton, Zenger is enhancing its digital platform and adding more news organizations to its user base. [Built In Austin]

The winner of Austin FCs startup competition was announced.The soccer team partnered up with fintech company Q2 last month to launch the Dream Starter Competition for startups based in Central Texas. On June 19, the $100,000 prize went to At Ease, a home rental platform for soldiers and federal employees. [Austin Business Journal]

Outdoorsy pulled in $120M.Offering RV rentals, the travel company announced its latest injection of capital. The sum consisted of a $90 million equity round led by Moore Strategic Ventures and a $30 million debt facility from Pacific Western Bank. With the money, Outdoorsy is investing in its insurtech business, supporting customer growth and fueling its latest partnership with Collective Retreats. [PR Newswire]

Literati hired a new executive.Offering subscription-based book clubs on its literary platform, Literati just announced the addition of Lauren Jarvis to its executive team. Jarvis previously worked at Spotify as the head of content partnerships for North America. Now at Literati, she will take over the role of chief business officer. [Variety]

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Literati Hired a New Exec, Outdoorsy Got $120M, and More Austin Tech News - Built In Austin

Tony Lawrence hosts the Harlem Cultural Festival in 1969, featured in the documentary SUMMER OF SOUL. Photo Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. 2021 20th Century Studios All Rights Reserved

By Dwight Brown

It was a volatile time. Malcom and Martin had been assassinated in recent years. Civil uprisings and riots had just simmered down. The summer of 69 was a chance for a much-needed cultural break and reawakening.

That happened in Harlems Mt. Morris Park, when program director Tony Lawrence created the summer long Harlem Cultural Festival. Three-hundred thousand music lovers attended. Few to no cops in sight. The Black Panthers provided security. It was a mellow celebration.

The Tonight Show musical director Ahmir Questlove Thompson has flicked the moth balls off the never-before-seen, decades-old footage of the festival. The 2-inch video tapes were shot by producer/director Hal Tulchin for an unreleased 1969 doc called Black Woodstock. The tapes had languished in a basement for 50 years and Tulchin signed the rights to the masters over to Questlove just before he died in 2017. The bandleaders task of screening, editing and assembling clips couldnt have been an easy task. His efforts were augmented by music supervisor Randall Poster, editor Joshua Pearson and director of photography Shawn Peters.

Among the many stellar performances: R&B artists (BB King, Little Stevie Wonder, Sly and the Family Stone, Gladys Knight & The Pips); pop stars (The 5th Dimension); jazz greats (Abbey Lincoln, Nina Simone); Latin legends (Mongo Santamaria) and gospel singers (The Staple Singers, The Edwin Hawkins Singers, Mahalia Jackson). Mayor John V. Lindsay makes a cameo and activists like Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton share their opinions on music and the state of Black life. Sharpton: Gospel was more than religion. Gospel was the therapy for the stress and pressure of being Black in America.

The vintage performances are edited in with news footage and new interviews from fest musicians recollecting their performances and attendees recalling their experiences. Of particular interest is the interview with Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr., who were determined to connect with a black audience who had been reluctant to embrace The Fifth Dimension, their pop group.

Together, these interviewees perspectives add insight and footnotes to the social/political history surrounding these unforgettable outdoor concerts. Before there was Prince there was Sly. Before Yolanda Adams, Mahalia. Before Bad Bunny, Mongo Santamaria. We know this because Questlove and his rousing, thoughtful documentary links us back to the past with this precious and rare archive.

There is something so spiritual, uplifting and motivating about watching 300,000 black folks, over the course of a summer, gathered around a stage to vibe and rejoice. You need to watch this doc in a theater or on the streaming service Hulu. Why? Because the revolution will not be televised!

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Summer of Soul ( Or When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised) - Seattle Medium

The statues of George Floyd in Brooklyn and Newark were defaced late Thursday night, as the long-awaited sentencing of former Minneapolis Officer Derek Chauvin, who was convicted of Floyds murder, was finalized on Friday, June 25.

Chauvins last effort to request a new trial was denied by Judge Peter A. Cahill of Hennepin County District Court hours ahead of the sentencing, reported The New York Times.

Chauvin was sentenced to 22.5 years in prison.

As the sentence was handed down by Cahill, a gathering of Black Lives Matter supporters, nonviolence organizations, and Councilmember Farah Louis (D-Brooklyn) surrounded the taped off statuea six-foot wooden bust of Floyd atop a five-foot pedestalas it was being repaired on the corner of Flatbush and Nostrand Avenues intersection in Brooklyn.

The sculpture was created by artist Chris Carnabuci and unveiled June 19 by Louis for a Juneteenth celebration this year.

It was so disrespectful for someone to come into our community because we cant go into nobody elses community, right? But you can come into our community and disrespect us. We were so devastated, said Louis at the gathering. I was pissed off for our community because for us George Floyds statue being here was a local landmark for our district. It was an opportunity for schools to bring students and have class trips.

Artist Chris Carnabuci, ConfrontART, the We Are Floyd Foundation, and National Action Network (NAN), a not-for-profit, civil rights organization founded by Rev. Al Sharpton in 1991, helped organize the peaceful demonstration and repair of the statue.

Its a modern-day lynching what he did to George Floyd, said a NAN organizer. All over the world we will never, ever forget this momentum, this moment, this occasion, this situation that has brought us all to our knees as we continue the fight.

Shanduke McPhatter, founder of Gangstas Making Astronomical Community Changes (G-MACC Inc.), which is a nonprofit that battles gun violence, said that incidents like this only encourage more violence in the community.

When we, the Cure Violence Crisis Management System and our partners in the city, see somebody defacing our community, that means we have to step up and do more in our community as well, said McPhatter.

NYPD said the vandalism was reported to police on Thursday at around 3 a.m. Four unidentified males used black spray paint to deface the monument and text on the pedestal and white spray paint was used to stencil PATRIOTFRONT.US on the pedestal over it, said police.

Last night a far-right extremist group vandalized a statue of George Floyd in Brooklyn. A racist, loathsome, despicable act of hate, tweeted Mayor Bill de Blasio. The City Cleanup Corps is repairing the statue right now and a hate crime investigation is underway. We will bring these cowards to justice.

Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams said hes calling for a federal investigation into the incident in Brooklyn and Newark, as well as any potential connection to the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol this past January.

While vandalism can be cleaned, the desecration of the George Floyd statue in Flatbush is a lasting insult to every New Yorker, said Adams in a statement. Just days after its unveiling on Juneteenth, and a day before the sentencing of Floyds murderer, this defacing that appears connected to a white supremacy hate group may have been an attempt to strike terror into our communityand it should be investigated accordingly.

Enjoyed this story? Please consider making a tax deductible donation to support Ariamas important journalism: bit.ly/amnews1

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Floyd statues defaced on the eve of Chauvin sentencing - Amsterdam News

Martin Luther King III and the Rev. Al Sharpton will hold a nationwide march against voter suppression on Aug. 28 the 58th anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington.

The event, dubbed March On for Voting Rights, comes as legislatures across the country move to tighten up voting rules.

Just under 390 bills have been introduced across 48 states aimed at restricting voting access in some form in the wake of the 2020 presidential election, the marchs organizer, March On, said in a statement.

King in a statement said his father, Martin Luther King Jr., would be greatly disappointed in where we are at this particular moment, but he would not give up on the nation.

He believed in the power of people, the power of young people, and the power of change to come, and I am proud to support March On for Voting Rights to help carry out that change and recommit ourselves to finishing my fathers unfinished work, he said.

Demonstrations are planned in Atlanta, Houston, Miami and Phoenix cities in GOP-led states that have passed controversial voting reform measures since the 2020 elections.

There will also be a march in Washington, D.C., to call for passage of federal voting rights legislation.

March On said the need to pass federal voting rights protections has increase dramatically since the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol, when supporters of former President TrumpDonald TrumpAOC said she doubts Biden's win would have been certified if GOP controlled the House Trump aides drafted order to invoke Insurrection Act during Floyd protests: report Overnight Defense: Intel releases highly anticipated UFO report | Biden meets with Afghan president | Conservatives lash out at Milley MORE stormed the buildingon the baseless premise that the 2020 presidential election was stolen.

The danger since then has only increased, as numerous elected officials have now codified such lies into law, citing nonexistent voter fraud and public doubts they themselves encouraged, the group said.

The march is being held in partnership with Kings Drum Major Institute, the Service Employees International Union, Sharptons National Action Network and the Future Coalition.

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Martin Luther King III, Al Sharpton to hold nationwide march against voter suppression | TheHill - The Hill