21 Experts on What the Verdict Means — and Where to Go From Here

As the jury’s verdict was read — guilty, guilty, guilty — millions of Americans breathed out.

Despite the widely circulated video capturing Derek Chauvin choking the life out of George Floyd on a Minneapolis street last May, it was never clear that the former police officer would be convicted of anything, let alone murder. Despite increasing attention to police violence, particularly against Black Americans, it’s still vanishingly rare for officers in the U.S. to be charged, let alone convicted.

So Tuesday’s verdict marked a big moment in the nation’s ongoing...