Verdict: “..a glimmer of justice”
Gwen Carr, Mother of Eric Garner
My Day by
Dr. J. Ester Davis
Dedicated to John Beckwith, Sr., Living Legend
Tuesday, April 20, 2021, was a good day in America. An American jury got it right after decades of getting it wrong. The verdict of “guilty”, “guilty”, “ guilty”, was music heard around the world for the inhuman public murder of George Floyd. This verdict, as spoken by the President of the United States is ‘much too rare’. True and thank you, but non-the-less shameful. It is a fact that this verdict runs deep, ocean-wide and our tears are just a mirror of all these years. This verdict serves as a legacy to black activists, clergy, the early black police officers, attorneys who fought without being heard.
This verdict gets a B minus. It represents a “glimmer of justice” for the generations of wrongful acts committed at the hands of white law enforcement without a forethought or suffering any consequences for their actions. This verdict is a history lesson for future generations because only a thread of ‘justice was served’. This is a definite win, but the law has not changed. We must chant daily that this verdict alone, is not a “change in policy”. Behind this verdict should be the unanimous vote on the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, a federal law in all states, which is almost verbatim what John Beckwith, Sr., expressed more than fifty(50)years ago to black attorneys and masons.
In Texas, we had John Beckwith, Sr., a civil rights servant with grit.
I met John Beckwith, Sr., in the Finch Lockridge Cunningham Law Firm in South Dallas, while working tirelessly as a legal secretary in the late ‘60’s. We remained friends after I left the firm. There were four(4) black attorneys at this location. When we moved to the new location uptown South Dallas, there were six(6)black attorneys and four(4)black doctors at Forest Avenue Hospital, all within a one block area. Mr. Beckwith was a conservative southern gentleman with excellent protocol and colorful language in certain settings. His dress was always the same, black suit, white shirt, black shined shoes. He seems to always be on a mission with an unwritten agenda and unsolicited reports. What I remember most is why he stopped by because he never had an appointment. He just made his rounds. Mr. Beckwith would report the conditions of loved ones he picked up for burial to the attorneys. He went further with an explicit lengthy opinion about conditions. Mr. Beckwith had national appeal, was bold about his convictions, but the laws, especially in the south always left him voiceless and frustrated. That’s why this verdict overflow bountifully with public tears at the mention of the word. I cried when I heard the verdict. It was bitter and sweet. My recall still leaves me bitter because “Man Dies After Medical Incident During Police Interaction” was the initial media report taken from the police report about Mr. Floyd’s death. Bottonline, we almost never had this verdict.
And finally, the tireless working legal team representing Mr. Floyd was exemplary. This was such a jubilee for black attorneys that enter courtrooms every day believing and fighting against the odds.
Yes, this is a win, a glimmer of justice, but the law has not been changed.
Esterdavis2000@gmail.com
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