Americans gather across the country to mark the day which transformed the nation- forever. The day which saw the brutal murder of a black man at the hands of police.
Americans observed the first death anniversary of George Floyd with mixed emotions as the nation rose from the ashes of tragedy to recognize their rights and fight for them.
It was a solemn atmosphere in Minneapolis as people from all circles of life came and paid tribute to the man who lost his life to a cold murder exactly one year ago. People laid flowers and said prayers while celebrating the black culture by infusing music, art, and food into the tribute.
Mixed emotion ran among the crowd as they grieved over a cold murder while also celebrated the conviction of the police officer; amidst a ray of hope for police reforms as well as a racial equality prevalence in the country.
People gathered at the point where Floyd was brutally murdered which is now known as George Floyd square in Minneapolis. The Mayor of Minneapolis Jacob Frey along with Floyd’s sister Bridgett, gathered at the Commons park near the US Bank stadium; as hundreds of people gathered to pay tribute to mark the death anniversary of George Floyd which revolutionized the unlawful racial discrimination on the hands of police and other law agencies. The governor paid tribute to slain Floyd by announcing a proclaimed moment of silence for exactly nine minutes and 29 seconds; the time the white officer kept his knee on Floyd’s neck, resulting in his death.
Meanwhile, the family of George Floyd met with President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris to mark the death anniversary of George Floyd. Floyd’s brother Philonise Floyd told the press that the meeting went great with the President and the Vice president. He stated that they are thankful to the Biden administration as it works forward to pass the George Floyd justice in policing act.
Rodney Floyd, another brother of George Floyd, told reporters they were genuinely thankful to the President and Harris for showing remarkable concern for their family as they go through and relive the painful moments of last year.
President Joe Biden stated that meeting with the Floyd family was very personal and they spent more than an hour together. Harris stated that it was an honor to meet the family who continues to show grace, resilience, and courage as they fight for the rights of black people after the untimely demise of their loved ones.
Peaceful demonstrations were held across the country to mark the death anniversary of George Floyd.
Kevin McCall, a civil rights activist along with a handful of people marched through the downtown area of New York City to acknowledge the first year since the death of Floyd.
A celebration of George’s life was held in Houston where he spent most of his life while peaceful demonstrations were seen in Los Angeles, Philadelphia along with vigil prayers in different cities of America.
Floyd’s daughter Gianna Floyd was invited to make a presence in a rally in Atlanta which was titled “My daddy changed the world”
George Floyd’s cold murder reignited the Black Lives Matter movement in America and soon it took over the world. The discussions over the dinner went out in public as the protest grew and the world grappled in the aftermath of Floyd’s death; which revolutionized the racial disparity and inequality in basic rights for the colored ethnicities.
The Floyd family has announced that they will be utilizing the $27 million settlement amount money from the city of Minneapolis to provide grants to the underprivileged under the George Floyd community benevolence fund.
