Interviewee: Anthony Collier

Second year law student

Profession- Student Body President at the University of Texas School of Law

Organization- Chair of the National Black Law Students Association

Interviewer: JaQuayla Owens

Date of interview: 21 April 2021

Location: Phone interview

Purpose: Houston Sun Newspaper

Acronyms: AC= Anthony Collier; JO= JaQuayla Owens

JO: How does the Derek Chauvin verdict speak to equal justice in America and what do you think is next?

AC: Convicting someone of murder who clearly chocked someone to death in front of phone camera- live-  is the bare minimum. We have seen in the past when there has been clear and convincing evidence but people still got away with murder, so I’m thankful for the conviction. However, we still need justice for Breonna Taylor and the many other black people who have been murdered  by police officers. This is a small step in the right direction.

JO: People often talk about justice, do you think we -as a collective-  have a clear definition of what justice is? And what’s your definition of justice?

AC: No

JO: What’s your definition of justice?

AC: Justice is doing the right thing… doing right by people. Malcolm X once stated, “If you stick a knife in my back nine inches and pull it out six inches, there’s no progress. If you pull it all the way out, that’s not progress. The progress is healing the wound that the blow made.” I think the same can be said for justice. Often times we stand, knife in the back and  they still won’t acknowledge the knife is there. Instead they  shout  all lives matter. The fact of the matter is, it is not enough to hold someone accountable for feeling entitled to do  us wrong. We need to be compensated for the trauma and oppression we’ve been through. We need the remedy to rectify the situation. Justice must go further than convicting officers  who murder us unjustly.  And sadly quite often  the jury and judges don’t  convict, right!? Either way, there is still more work to be done.