A SUMMER TO REMEMBER: ONE YEAR AFTER THE GEORGE FLOYD TRAGEDY
By: Jerry Humphrey III
One year ago George Floyd tragically lost his life to Police officer Derek Chauvin in Minneapolis Minnesota. Chauvin was one out of the four officers on the scene; Video recording shows him kneeling on Floyd’s neck and back for approximately ten minutes causing him to suffocate and die.
At the height of the Coved-19 pandemic, Floyd’s death caused a nationwide uproar which brought all races together in a national protest against the ongoing battle of police brutality.
Major sports athletes and leagues used their platforms to help spread awareness of the protest. During the NBA Bubble players were given the option to wear inspirational quotes such as “Black Lives Matter”, “I Can’t Breathe”, “Say Their Names” and other statements regarding the protest throughout the entirety of the season. In addition, NBA veteran Stephen Jackson was a dear friend to Floyd and his family. He lead multiple protests in Minnesota and other states with the Floyd family by his side to continue the conversation on the change we needed to see in the law enforcement system.
Street artists globally created murals honoring Floyd. A week after his death murals were spotted in many cities, including Manchester, Dallas, Miami, Idlib, Los Angeles, Nairobi, Oakland, Strombeek-Bever, Berlin, Pensacola, and La Mesa.
Today justice was served for the Floyd family and the entire community behind the movement generated throughout last summer’s events. After a month’s trial, Chauvin was found guilty of all three charges. (second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter).
One year post-tragedy Floyds legacy will remain in the thoughts of people all across the globe. His death sparked a turning point in how we deal with the systemic racism in this country with minorities and people of color. Change starts with us so to see the change we have to be the change.
Long Live George Floyd.
