By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, who successfully prosecuted all the officers involved in the murder of George Floyd and who’s penned a new book about the experience, will keynote the 2023 National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) national convention.
Ellison, the state’s former representative in the U.S. Congress and two-term attorney general, will speak to the more than 230 African American-owned publishers and media company owners during a special address on Friday, June 30, at the JW Marriott in Nashville, Tennessee.
With the theme, “The Black Press: Amplifying Progress, Excellence, and Voices of Black America,” the convention begins on Wednesday, July 28.
During the convention, Ellison also will provide commentary on his new book, “Break the Wheel: Ending the Cycle of Police Violence.”
“The National Newspaper Publishers Association enthusiastically announces that Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison will address the NNPA 2023 Annual National Convention,” said NNPA President and CEO Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr.
“Keith Ellison has emerged as one of the most effective and courageous Attorney Generals in American history,” Chavis said.
“We look forward to his speech on ‘Ending Police Violence in America’ before the national assembly of our nation’s Black newspaper publishers, media industry executives, and community activists and leaders nationwide.”
Three years ago, the nation faced an awakening to its deep-seated racial problems after Floyd’s murder.
Former officer Derek Chauvin, who is white, was captured on video kneeling on Floyd’s neck for more than 9 minutes while the unarmed and compliant Black man pleaded for his life and called out for his mother.
Protests erupted globally, and as local prosecutors appeared to drag their feet, Ellison stepped in, and prosecuted Chauvin and three other police officers involved in the incident.
Chauvin is serving a more than 20-year federal sentence, while his ex-colleagues Tou Thao, J. Alexander Kueng, and Thomas Lane serve at least three years for their roles in Floyd’s death, including violating his civil rights.
Ellison recently told NPR he kept a diary about the officers’ trials.
He described how he broke down in tears when he saw the video of Floyd’s murder for the first time.
“For me, it was a gut check moment, one of those moments where you ask yourself, ‘What am I about and what am I in this for?’” Ellison stated.
“And my answer had to be we’re going to do anything we can to try to make sure that the outcome is fair, just, and right.”
For more information on NNPA’s convention, visit http://www.nnpa-events.com.
