Hopefully, today is a new day for our country,” Marshall University President, Jerome Gilbert, said this morning at a program on the Memorial Student Center Plaza.

The program called “A Social Justice Gathering: Reflections on George Floyd” was organized by the Black United Students group on campus and included SGA President Anna Williams, Black United Students President Takira Williams, and President Jerome Gilbert as speakers.

“George Floyd died because of unnecessary use of excessive force, that nobody at the time thought was wrong,” said Takira Williams. “Robbed of his livelihood and added to the ongoing list of those who have been victimized under the crooked hands of police brutality.”

Takira Williams said that while the court always knew of Officer Derrek Chauvin’s guilt in the death of Floyd, many waited anxiously for the ruling.

“We know the system sometimes can be unjust,” said Takira Williams.

The program comes the day after the verdict was announced in the trial of Chauvin.

Chauvin was convicted on all three of the charges brought against him and is currently awaiting sentencing.