KILLEEN, Texas — The Derek Chauvin trial has been a turning point for many Central Texans who woke up today knowing that justice had finally been served.
"With the verdict yesterday, and just thinking everything we went through last year, with this happening now, it's just kind of surreal seeing it come full circle," Robert Shepard said.
Anthony Kendrick said he feels the same because it's been too long without justice.
"It's been so many times where police actually get off after we have seen videos, so it's a move in the right direction," Kendrick said.
A step in the right direction is what many are saying because from where they stand, Chauvin's conviction brings with it hope for a brighter tomorrow.
"Oh, I am definitely hopeful but I am a very optimistic person by nature, and I think there's a lot of people waking up and realizing how life can be," said Lee Dunbar, who was playing with her child at Lyon's Park in Killeen.
Shepard, out for a walk under the setting sun, believes, too, it's a chance to get things going forward.
"It's a start, there is still a lot of work to be done but it's definitely a good start and a step in the right direction," he said.
But as hopeful as things seem today, there's more work to be done to make up for a long history of police brutality against black people.
"Ahh, man, how much time do you have? I mean, we're talking hundreds of years, almost 400 years just not stop, just non-stop, so, let's start with Day One and move forward from here," said Shepard.
Kendrick, a U.S. veteran and father to three boys, he says there's work to do and lessons still to be learned going forward.
"We got a long ways to go. It's more or less that we have work together because me, serving 22 years in the military, the only color I know is camouflaged," he said.