MINNEAPOLIS — Memphis activist Devante Hill celebrated with the family of George Floyd in Minneapolis on Tuesday night.
Hill is one of several activists who led protesters through the streets of Memphis last summer.
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Hill said the guilty verdict is a step in the right direction.
“Finally excited as a black man, finally seeing an officer have some degree of accountability, finally,” said Hill.
During the summer, he started serving with Equal Justice Now, a group affiliated with the Floyd family attorney Ben Crump.
Through the organization, he met George Floyd’s brother Philonise.
“We both discussed how this time and this moment is much different from every moment we ever experienced,” said Hill.
“This time we’ve reached a different time in our civil rights movement.”
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The Equal Justice Now organization flew Hill to Minneapolis Tuesday morning.
He was there just in time for the verdict that found former officer Derek Chauvin guilty of murdering George Floyd.
He was in contact with Philonise Floyd all day.
“It was Philonise who kept reminding me that this is going to be all right,” said Hill.
“He kept saying we got this, we got this, it’s going to be all right.”
Hill said the verdict is a game-changer for black people in America but more still needs to be done.
“The tide is changing, it’s time for our community, its time for law enforcement and legislators to operate harmoniously so we can assess things like crime, education and economical empowerment,” said Hill.
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“It’s hard to do so when people abuse their power behind the badge.”
Hill said this moment is motivating him to make a change in Memphis.
His focus is on improving relationships between the police and the community.
“Children in our communities, the only time police show up is when someone goes to jail so of course there is trauma and every time they see a police officer is a negative experience,” said Hill.
Hill said his non-profit “One Memphis, One Vision” already focuses on improving relationships with police but he wants to do more.
He is even considering running for office but didn’t specify what leadership role he is looking at.
“We have finally come into a space to where we are seeing the door at least open to change so now we have to walk into this room and we have to have something to say,” said Hill.
“We have to have a plan, we have to have a strategy, its time for us to not only deal with police reform but educational reform.”
Overall, Hill said it’s important to meet people where they are.
Whether it’s marching through the streets of Memphis or having discussions in Minneapolis, every action is meant to make a positive change.
“We still got to keep that pressure going, we still got to continue to do that work,” said Hill.
“This doesn’t mean we can no longer get to the pavement and march if we need to.”
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