Our response to Derek Chauvin’s sentencing for the murder of George Floyd

SAN FRANCISCO, June 25, 2021— Following a year of social and racial unrest sparked by the murders of Black people at the hands of the police, San Francisco AIDS Foundation stands firmly with Black communities as Derek Chauvin was sentenced to 22.5 years in prison for the murder of George Floyd. 

We know that this individual sentence does not erase the pain and sorrow felt by our Black staff, clients, and community members. We also recognize that systemic racism and policing will continue to harm Black people in our country. As an organization committed to racial justice, we call for the end of police violence and commit to working towards alternatives to policing.

Today we continue to grieve the death of George Floyd and all other Black lives lost to police violence. May George Floyd rest in power and may this sustained grief lay the fertile ground for solutions that center Black lives and dismantle racism found in so many of our institutions, including law enforcement.

To get involved with ending police violence and working towards alternatives to policing:

Check out these resources provided by the Black Lives Matter movement.

Support an organization recommended by Reclaim the Block. 

Advocate for the BREATHE ACT, a bill authored by the Movement for Black Lives.

Take action with the NAACP, pushing forward to eradicate racism.

Divest from the police with the ACLU, add your name to the petition advocating for investment in Black and Brown communities.

Take action with SURJ (Showing Up for Racial Justice).

Join the HIV Advocacy Network of SFAF, to advocate for issues related to equity in healthcare, HIV, substance use, and more.