(CNN) George Floyd's brothers shared their pain and grief with the world for nearly a year. On Tuesday, they finally felt some relief.
Philonise Floyd, Attorney Ben Crump and Reverend Al Sharpton react following the verdict.
"Today, we are able to breathe again," Philonise Floyd told reporters.
Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis Police officer who kneeled on Floyd's neck for over 9 minutes last year, was found guilty in Floyd's murder on Tuesday. After the jurors deliberated for more than 10 hours over two days, the verdict was welcomed with waves of celebration in Minneapolis and across the country.
Floyd's death on May 25, 2020, led to what some describe as the largest protest movement in US history, and forced America to reckon with racial injustice and police accountability. All while his family joined a long list of relatives of Black men killed at the hands of police who have turned their pain into calls for accountability.
"We have to always understand that we have to march. We will have to do this for life," Philonise Floyd said. "We have to protest because it seems like this is a never-ending cycle"
"I'm not just fighting for George anymore," he added. "I'm fighting for everyone around the world."
About a dozen of Floyd's relatives, including his siblings, cousins and daughter Gianna gathered at a hotel a few blocks away from the Hennepin County Courthouse. Together, they prayed guided by the Rev. Al Sharpton and chanted Floyd's name.
They thanked the numerous activists who turned George Floyd's name into a rallying cry and called the verdict "victory for many."
Chris Stewart, one of the attorneys representing the family, said they teared up and embraced right after hearing the verdict.
"Today, the tears are of pure joy and pure shock because days like this don't happen. The whole world shouldn't have to rally to get justice for one man," Stewart said.
Terrence Floyd, another of Floyd's brothers, described the verdict as "monumental" and said he is grateful and proud of his brother.
"I will salute him every day of my life. He showed me how to be strong," Terrence Floyd said. "He showed me how to be respectful. He showed me how to speak my mind. I'm going to miss him, but now I know he's in history. What a day to be a Floyd, man."
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who represents the families of Floyd and Daunte Wright, urged people across the country to see the verdict as a sign of hope for the future.
"America, let's pause for a moment. Proclaim this historical moment, not just for the legacy of George Floyd but the legacy of America," Crump said. "The legacy of trying to make America for all Americans."
"Let this be the precedent where we overcome systematic racism and oppression," Crump added.
Outside the courthouse, Floyd's girlfriend Courteney Ross said she hopes the verdict will lead to further action in other police brutality cases.
"We're finally starting to see. We walked around with eyes wide shut for a long time, so they're starting to open today, and this is going to be the first in a future of change," Ross said.
Moments before, Ross was embraced by Toshira Garraway, who founded the group Families Supporting Families Against Police Violence and whose son's father was killed in 2009 deadly encounter with police in St. Paul, Minnesota.
"We'll continue to fight for the rest of them," said Garraway, referring to several Black men who have died at the hands of police in the area over the years.
Reaction to Derek Chauvin guilty verdict
A man reacts outside the Hennepin County Government Center in Minneapolis on Tuesday, April 20, after former police officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty in the death of George Floyd.
People in Houston's Third Ward watch the verdict announcement.
People celebrate the verdict outside the Hennepin County Government Center in Minneapolis.
Adi Armour cries while watching the verdict being read in Milwaukee.
Money is tossed in the air as people celebrate the verdict at George Floyd Square in Minneapolis.
People hug at George Floyd Square in Minneapolis.
A band performs at George Floyd Square in Minneapolis.
George Floyd's brother, Philonise Floyd, wipes his eyes during a post-verdict news conference in Minneapolis on April 20.
A crowd gathers at George Floyd Square after a guilty verdict was announced at Chauvin's trial in Minneapolis.
People embrace outside the Hennepin County Government Center in Minneapolis.
People celebrate in Minneapolis at the site where George Floyd was killed.
Vice President Kamala Harris is seen on a monitor making remarks about the verdict in Chauvin's trial as President Joe Biden looks on at the White House on April 20.
People in Minneapolis celebrate the guilty verdict at the intersection of 38th Street & Chicago Avenue -- the site where George Floyd died in May 2020.
London Williams bursts into tears after hearing the verdict in Washington, DC.
CeCe Connery and her daughter Olivia wait for the verdict in Minneapolis.
A woman reacts to the verdict at George Floyd Square in Minneapolis.
People raise their fists at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
Fireworks are set off at George Floyd Square in Minneapolis.
People embrace in front of a mural of George Floyd in Atlanta.
A demonstrator raises a fist outside a police station in Minneapolis.
People listen to the verdict in New York's Times Square.
Members of the Congressional Black Caucus listen to the conclusion of the trial from Capitol Hill.
A man raises his fist in George Floyd Square ahead of the verdict announcement on April 20.
People embrace during a news conference in Minneapolis before the verdict on April 20.
Workers board up businesses near the Hennepin County Government Center on April 20.
The Rev. Al Sharpton leads a prayer alongside Floyd's family members and politicians outside the Hennepin County Government Center in Minneapolis on Monday, April 19.
Michael Jones watches closing arguments on his phone outside the Hennepin County Government Center on April 19.
Law enforcement and National Guard members stage outside the courthouse in Minneapolis on April 19.
High school students from across Minneapolis participate in a statewide walkout on April 19. They gathered at U.S. Bank Stadium to stand in solidarity against racial injustice and honor the lives of George Floyd and Daunte Wright.
People gather for a demonstration on Sunday, April 18, at the site where George Floyd died in Minneapolis.
Demonstrators gather outside the home of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz in St. Paul, for a rally and march against police brutality on April 18.
Lightning illuminates the sky above Chicago Avenue and 38th Street on Tuesday, April 6.
Children walk at a memorial in Minneapolis on Sunday, April 4. The "Say Their Names" symbolic cemetery memorializes Black lives lost at the hands of police.
A television inside a Minneapolis restaurant shows the trial on April 1.
An activist cries as she listens to testimony outside the courthouse in Minneapolis on March 30.
Locks spelling out George Floyd's name are linked to the fencing set up outside the courthouse on March 30.
Roland Jackson looks at a television showing the trial while getting some breakfast inside the Cup Foods in Minneapolis on March 29.
Attorney Ben Crump raises a fist as he takes a knee in Minneapolis with George Floyd's brother, Philonise, the Rev. Al Sharpton and Floyd's nephew, Brandon Williams, on March 29.
A man changes the number of a sign board at a makeshift memorial for Floyd in Minneapolis on March 10.
In his first remarks following the trial, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison praised the Floyd family members for their grace, class and courage.
"Although a verdict alone cannot end their pain, I hope it's another step on the long path toward healing for them," Ellison said.
He thanked the people who witnessed Floyd's death, recorded it and testified during the trial.
"They stopped and they raised their voices because they knew what they were seeing was wrong," Ellison said.
"They performed simple yet profound acts of courage, they told the truth. And they told the whole world the truth about what they saw," he added.
CNN's Jamiel Lynch contributed to this report.