It’s been almost a year since George Floyd was murdered by former Minneapolis Police officer Derek Chauvin, and Floyd’s family made sure to honor George at a Sunday gathering in Minneapolis.
Joined by Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, family attorney Benjamin Crump and Rev. Al Sharpton, Floyd’s sister, Bridgett, spoke about the changes in her family’s life over the last 12 months since Floyd was killed by police. “It has been a long year,” Bridgett said Sunday, according to the AP. “It has been a painful year. It has been very frustrating for me and my family for our lives to change in the blink of an eye — I still don’t know why.”
Outside of the Hennepin County Government Center, Sharpton said that Floyd will not be “going in history as a martyr.”
“He’s going in history as a game changer,” Sharpton explained standing next to Floyd’s loved ones. “When you went down on his neck, you broke the neck of police misconduct in this country.”
Crump shared words at the gathering as well, according to the Star Tribune: “We must use this opportunity to get the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act passed so we can prevent some of these unnecessary, preventable, unjustifiable, illegal and unconstitutional killings of our people.”
Sunday’s event was only the first of many to celebrate Floyd’s legacy in the city this week, as the the city will house an event Tuesday to “celebrate life through Black culture, art, history, and support local businesses,” according to Floyd’s memorial foundation. The event is set to “mark the city’s resilience, unity and will reinvigorate the community to continue to advance the fight for justice for all,” featuring several special guests.
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