Six years after the killing of George Floyd reshaped conversations around policing and racial justice across the United States, members of his family say the fight that followed his death is far from over. As Minneapolis prepared to mark the anniversary of May 25, 2020, Floyd’s relatives reflected on grief, public memory, and what they see as unfinished progress.
Speaking with FOX 9 ahead of Monday’s anniversary, Floyd’s uncle Selwyn Jones revisited the moment he first saw the now-infamous footage of Floyd pinned to the pavement by former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin. Jones said he initially did not realize the man on television was his nephew.
“I was sitting in front of a television watching this, this black man getting assaulted by the police,” Jones said. “And me not knowing who it was.”
He recalled receiving a call from his sister moments later, asking, “Did you see what they did to Perry?”
His latest filing argues that expert testimony about Floyd’s death was flawed, claims police officials misrepresented department training policies, and accuses prosecutors of misconduct and improper jury instructions. Previous appeals at the state and federal levels have all failed.
Floyd died after Chauvin knelt on his neck and back for 9 minutes and 29 seconds while Floyd was handcuffed face-down outside a Minneapolis convenience store.
A bystander video captured Floyd repeatedly saying he could not breathe before he became unresponsive. The Hennepin County Medical Examiner later ruled the death a homicide caused by law enforcement restraint and neck compression.
For Floyd’s family, the anniversary is tied as much to remembrance as it is to the broader movement that followed. “Not enough change,” Jones said when asked about the years since Floyd’s death. “But as long as we keep fighting, as long as this event keeps happening, yes, and showing unity.”
Floyd’s aunt, Angela Harrelson, also spoke about the emotional weight attached to the date and the future of George Floyd Square, where the city plans to begin construction on a redesigned public space next month. Harrelson said she hopes the area remains focused on reflection rather than commercialization.
“When we get to the point where we don’t have to say the words Black Lives Matter,” Harrelson said, “then that’s when we know we have arrived.”
