George Floyd to be celebrated in Minneapolis 2 years after his murder

Listen to this article here

Sign-Up for a free subscription to The Black Wall Street Times‘ daily newsletter, Black Editors’ Edition (BEE) – our curated news selections & opinions by us for you.

On Wednesday, the memory of George Floyd will be honored at the intersection where he was murdered. It’s among the remembrances scheduled for Wednesday’s second anniversary of his killing at the hands, or knee, of Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin.

Floyd, 46, died after Chauvin pinned his knee on Floyd’s neck for 9 1/2 minutes as Floyd was handcuffed and pleaded that he couldn’t breathe. Since then, Chauvin has been sentenced to 22 1/2 after being convicted of murder and manslaughter. Chauvin also pleaded guilty to violating Floyd’s civil rights in a federal case, which will add to his overall prison sentence.

Activists planned the vigil, along with a rally at the governor’s residence in St. Paul, in remembrance of the two-year anniversary of Floyd’s death on May 25, 2020.

George Floyd changed the world, but deep racial divisions persist.

The outpouring of love and community that followed Floyd’s murder was unlike anything our world had ever seen before. Many speculated on how things would change afterwards, and while communities and organizations have worked to address their own systemic racism, Black people remain largely unprotected in their own neighborhoods.

The intersection of 38th and Chicago streets became known informally as George Floyd Square in the wake of his death, with a large sculpture of a clenched fist as the centerpiece of memorials. According to ABC News, the city planned to unveil a street sign officially dubbing the corner George Perry Floyd Square just ahead of the vigil, with Floyd’s brother Terrence among those attending.

Victims of police brutality and supporters of Floyd to lean on each other over Memorial Day weekend.

Later events include a Thursday gathering of families of loved ones who have died in interactions with police and a fundraising gala Friday aimed at raising money to preserve offerings left by protesters and mourners at the intersection where Floyd was killed.

An all-day festival and a concert at the intersection were also planned for Saturday.

Two years later, the murder of George Floyd remains the world’s largest protest in human history.