Return to Transcripts main page

At This Hour

Floyd Family, Biden Urge Congress to Act on Police Reform; Ex- Officer Awaits Sentencing Conviction in Floyd's Murder; Sports World Reacts to Guilty Verdict in George Floyd's Murder. Aired 11:30a-12p ET

Aired April 21, 2021 - 11:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[11:30:00]

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN NEWSROOM: Angela Perez, thank you, thank you so much.

Coming up for us, how does country harness this emotion, harness this passion to bring about real and enduring change when it comes to race and policing in America? Does it begin and end on Capitol Hill?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:35:00]

BOLDUAN: In the wake of the verdict, the focus on some level now shifts from Minneapolis to Washington, and President Biden last night using the moment to renew the push and call for federal action, specifically for the Senate to pass a sweeping police reform bill that bears George Floyd's name. Here is Biden last night.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, U.S. PRESIDENT: And we're going to continue to fight for the passage of the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act so I can sign the law as quickly as possible.

I can't breathe. I can't breathe. Those were George Floyd's last words. We can't let those words die with him. We have to keep hearing those words. We must not turn away. We can't turn away. We have a chance to begin to change the trajectory in this country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: One of the driving forces behind this bill has been the Floyd family. His brother went to Capitol Hill and testified, you'll remember, before Congress the day after George Floyd's funeral last year.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PHILONISE FLOYD, GEORGE FLOYD'S BROTHER: Enough is enough. The people marching in the streets are telling you enough is enough. By the leaders, our country, the world needs the right thing. The people elected you to speak for them to make positive change, George's name means something. You have the opportunity here today to make your names mean something too.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: That's still amazing to see this many months later, and less a year later.

Let's go to the Hill. CNN's Manu Raju is standing by. Manu, this bill hasn't moved in the Senate. Does the verdict yesterday change that?

MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It remains to be seen. I mean, there have been informal discussions that have been happening between the two sides over the last several weeks. I talked to some of the key sponsors and negotiators, they still anticipate that those talks will move into more substantive phase in the days and weeks ahead.

Recall, all of this well went down the House approved a bill that it passed last year, the George Floyd Police Reform Act that Joe Biden is pushing. That bill did not go anywhere in the Senate last year. Republicans opposed it.

Republicans had their own alternative that was offered by Senator Tim Scott. Democrats in the Senate blocked that bill and no action happened from there on out.

Now, there are similarities between the two bills, but there are also some key differences. The Democrats rely on more federal rules and stringent requirements coming from the federal government. The Republican alternative pushes to incentivize states to take action, such as banning chokeholds and the like.

But one key difference remains between the two sides, which is how to deal with the issue of qualified immunity, which refers to protection that law enforcement officers, police officers have in civil court. Democrats want to gut those protections, Republicans have called that in the past a poison pill.

In talking to some of these key members, they believe that they could reach some sort of consensus on that key sticking point, including Senator Tim Scott, who is the leader on the Republican side on this issue. And Karen Bass, Kate, who has led the House effort, told me last night she wants a deal reached by May 25th. And that is, of course, George Floyd's death anniversary. Kate?

BOLDUAN: Yes. Manu, thank you so much.

Coming up for us, the story of George Floyd that we'll be telling our children for generations. What is that story? That conversation is next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:40:00]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD WILLIAMS, WITNESSED GEORGE FLOYD'S DEATH: I can't say I expected it but I know the team, myself and the team that was around, the witnesses, we all went out there and told the truth, we told what we seen. And if the world didn't see what we seen, then it was blinders still on. And I believe the blinders are off now because the verdict that was made today.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: That is Donald Williams, one of the bystanders who was there that day and had to witness George Floyd's death, and also one of the people who became a key witness in the trial for the prosecution against Derek Chauvin.

Williams sees hope for real and enduring change here. He says the blinders are now off. But for how long? The country is and remains at a crossroads and where is it headed?

Joining me right now is Bakari Sellers, CNN Political Commentator, the author of a book that s very important in this moment, My Vanishing Country. I really recommend it to everybody right now.

BOLDUAN: Bakari, you heard Donald there. What does this verdict feel like today for you?

BAKARI SELLERS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, it's a relief first. But I don't know any black person that's excited. This is something that we're just glad the system finally got right. It's a weight off your shoulders, it's a weight off your chest, but yesterday was just the beginning. And I want people to understand that. There's nobody who I talked to who feels as if that was justice, but that was accountability that's been fleeting in this criminal justice system for so long. And we're glad that it's there.

But today the real work begins because we want to see action. We want to see change. We don't want any more George Floyds. People are tired of living through this perpetual state of grieving where we have black bodies in the street, blood that flows and then we have protests and then we have trials. And we may or may not get to trials. It's just so exhausting. We want to break that cycle. And so, hopefully, action will be taken.

BOLDUAN: Accountability in justice, not just words, they're not synonyms.

[11:45:02]

They're two distinct things and two things you think that people -- it is important that people do not confusion here. Can you explain?

SELLERS: So thank you for that question. Accountability means that there is a level of deterrence. That means that when an officer goes out and commits a bad act, something we've been telling folk has been happening for a long period of time, it's why when law enforcement pulls behind me, my heart beats faster, or the conversation I have with Kai, who turned 16 on June 1st, she's my daughter, when she goes out and drives her car. These are conversations that black parents have to have. This is anxiety that people feel in their chest. And so we want to have that accountability when something goes wrong.

But justice means that George Floyd is alive. Justice means that everybody gets the benefit of their humanity. Justice means that we no longer have to have a community or culture -- I mean, think about this, Kate, do you know any other culture or community that has a group of

mothers whose common bind is the fact that their children were gunned down by law enforcement? I mean, we call them mothers of the movement. We have that.

I mean, and so yesterday -- I always say like the bar is in hell. The bar is so low. We saw someone commit a murder on camera and people were still holding their breath. So I want people to understand that that is accountability. We're glad we have it. But the bar for justice, one justice has to be a verb in everything that we do, the bar is higher than people want to give us credit for.

BOLDUAN: You mentioned Kai. What is the story of George Floyd that you think that you're going to tell your three kids? Kai obviously most immediately, as she's 16, but for Stokely and Sadie too.

SELLERS: Yes. I've been spending a lot of time with Stokely recently. My wife is used to it over the past two weeks. Because even when I'm not around, I'm just like, how is my son doing? And she's like, you have daughters too. I'm like, I know, I know. But there's just something about me wanting to wrap my arms around my son because you see him in George Floyd.

There are two real big fears that black men have. One is that you will either become George Floyd or, two, your son becomes George Floyd. And so we've been wrapping our arms around our sons.

And then you look at yesterday, there was a young black girl gunned down, she was 15 years old, and the facts are still coming out. But still, it's a life lost.

And so, for Kai, this may sound strange to you, Kate, and I think I've said it before, but I just want Kai to be able to be like Baron Trump. I just want her to be able to go out and be a teenager and do really crazy TikTok dances that I can't keep up be and love songs by Lil Baby and Dub Baby (ph). And I want her to be able to -- I sound old as hell now, but I want her to be --

BOLDUAN: You do, and you're, like, 12.

SELLER: -- all of those things. But instead she has to wear a sign that says that her life matters. Instead, she has to protest in the streets. Instead, she has to understand when daddy is down, it's because he sees himself in George Floyd. She has to understand what those things are. So we have a long way to go with our children. And, hopefully, I'll leave a better world for them than the one I inherited. BOLDUAN: You are, you will. And, yes, thank you, buddy. It's so good to have this conversation with you. It's the beginning, middle and definitely not the end of it. So thank you.

SELLER: Thank you so much.

BOLDUAN: Coming up, in many respects, athletes have led the way in demanding social justice. So how are those athletes reacting now to this verdict and this moment? That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:50:00]

BOLDUAN: For almost a year, black athletes have used their platforms to keep George Floyd's death in the spotlight. And long before that, black athletes have been a driving force in the activism and fight for social justice even to their peril.

Reactions are still coming in from across this world to this guilty verdict. CNN's Andy Scholes has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR (voice over): The guilty verdict in the Derek Chauvin trial rocking the sports world.

SHAQUILLE O'NEAL, NBA HALL OF FAMER: I was just saying to myself, I hope they do the right thing, because if they don't, they're going to tear this mother up, because we're tired, we demanded justice, we got it.

SCHOLES: NBA players who have been on the frontline of the racial justice movement speaking out, and LeBron James summed up his feelings in one word, accountability and his Lakers teammate, Andre Drummond tweeting, justice. San Antonio Spurs tweeted a video that read, Black Lives Matter, for nine minutes and 29 seconds, the length of time Derek Chauvin had his knee of George Floyd's neck.

DWAYNE WADE, FORMER NBA ALL STAR: I was sitting in front of the T.V. watching the verdict come down, and my hands started sweating and my body started shivering and my heart started pounding because I was nervous. I was nervous because I didn't believe, because we've never seen this.

SCHOLES: Seattle Seahawks Quarterback Russell Wilson tweeting simply, love wins. And Tampa Bay Bucs Linebacker Shaquil Barrett adding, it's just the beginning.

And in New York, people gathered outside Barclay Center to voice their support.

CROWD: George Floyd. George Floyd.

BLAKE GRIFFIN, BROOKLYN NETS: I just keep thinking about how powerful it was to see people from all over the world, literally all over the world to come together and take a stand for something. And, you know, that's -- that's huge.

KYRIE IRVING, BROOKLYN NETS: We just want to continue to galvanize each other and be there for one another as human beings and continue to support, you know, justice being served.

SCHOLES: In Minnesota, the Timberwolves and Lynx issued a joint statement writing, we are hopeful that today's decision will serve as a step forward but it does not ease the physical and emotional pain that continues in an environment where systemic racism exists. The Minnesota Wild hockey team noting, there is still much work to be done.

Many athletes agreeing tennis star Naomi Osaka who wore this face mask with George Floyd's name on it during the U.S. Open in September tweeting the fact that so many injustices occurred to make us hold our breath for this outcome is really telling.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[11:55:07]

SCHOLES (on camera): Now, there was a reaction in the sports world to the verdict that was controversial. The Las Vegas Raiders coming under fire for this tweet right here that says, I can breathe, but the date 4.20.21. Raider's owner, Mark Davis, later tried to clarify that tweet, telling ESPN that he meant no disrespect and he was paraphrasing what Floyd's brother said after the verdict was read when he said, today, we are able to breathe again.

But, Kate, LeBron James and many people criticizing that tweet, even questioning whether it was real.

BOLDUAN: Andy, thank you so much. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:00:00]