As the verdict in the Derek Chauvin trial was read out Tuesday afternoon, a tide of emotion swept through those gathered in front of the Minneapolis courthouse: relief, resolve, hope. But among them all, perhaps one was most conspicuous: rejuvenation. 

Monitor photographer Ann Hermes is there, and as I talked to her amid honking car horns and shouts of solidarity, she noted that the mood was not happy. George Floyd is dead, and there is no joy in imprisoning the police officer now convicted of murdering him. Rather there was a sense that, at last, a historic moment of racial tension has resolved in justice for the Black community. And that only adds energy to a movement that now feels – just maybe – a nation might be truly listening.

Tomorrow, we’ll begin our coverage of what the verdict means for race relations in America. And among those pieces will be a photo essay by Ann in which she hopes to capture this rejuvenation. In years of covering such events, she has never before seen such a resolve among community groups to push on, to be heard. And today that cascaded through the streets of Minneapolis. “There were a lot of tears,” Ann says, “but it was energizing. A verdict finally went in a direction they were hoping for.”