From the George Floyd Memorial website:
Born in Fayetteville, NC, George Floyd was a star athlete in high school and among the first of his siblings to attend college. Like all of us, he had some ups and downs in his life, but in adulthood, Floyd became committed to his Christian faith, becoming an active church volunteer and a mentor to troubled youth in his community.
On May 25, 2020, George Floyd went to buy a pack of cigarettes and was murdered in broad daylight by the Minneapolis Police Department. A store clerk called the police on Mr. Floyd, accusing him of using a counterfeit $20 bill. Mr. Floyd denied this and tried to remain calm when four policemen showed up to arrest him. One of them, a cop named Derek Chauvin, held his knee to Mr. Floyd’s neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds as Mr. Floyd laid in the street, begging for breath. He called out for his mother, who had died two years earlier, until the ambulance arrived, which turned out to be his hearse. George Floyd was 46 years old. The blatant disregard for his civil rights and the barbarity of his death, caught on camera by multiple witnesses, sparked outrage and mass protests worldwide. Within weeks of Mr. Floyd’s murder, significant reforms were being pushed forward against the systemic culture of white supremacy and police brutality, some for the first time in America’s history.
The George Floyd Memorial Foundation was established as a nonprofit organization by George Floyd’s sister, Bridgett, together with other members of the Floyd family in August 2020. The George Floyd Memorial Foundation works to unite our voices for change, challenge the systemic obstacles facing our community, and eliminate the violence against and murder of unarmed, non-violent, and non-resisting Black individuals. Our programs mobilize communities, address the root causes of inequality such as economic opportunity, and combat the systemic violence affecting Black Americans by working to build a fair legal system.
Born in Fayetteville, NC, George Floyd was a star athlete in high school and among the first of his siblings to attend college. Like all of us, he had some ups and downs in his life, but in adulthood, Floyd became committed to his Christian faith, becoming an active church volunteer and a mentor to troubled youth in his community.
On May 25, 2020, George Floyd went to buy a pack of cigarettes and was murdered in broad daylight by the Minneapolis Police Department. A store clerk called the police on Mr. Floyd, accusing him of using a counterfeit $20 bill. Mr. Floyd denied this and tried to remain calm when four policemen showed up to arrest him. One of them, a cop named Derek Chauvin, held his knee to Mr. Floyd’s neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds as Mr. Floyd laid in the street, begging for breath. He called out for his mother, who had died two years earlier, until the ambulance arrived, which turned out to be his hearse. George Floyd was 46 years old. The blatant disregard for his civil rights and the barbarity of his death, caught on camera by multiple witnesses, sparked outrage and mass protests worldwide. Within weeks of Mr. Floyd’s murder, significant reforms were being pushed forward against the systemic culture of white supremacy and police brutality, some for the first time in America’s history.
The George Floyd Memorial Foundation was established as a nonprofit organization by George Floyd’s sister, Bridgett, together with other members of the Floyd family in August 2020. The George Floyd Memorial Foundation works to unite our voices for change, challenge the systemic obstacles facing our community, and eliminate the violence against and murder of unarmed, non-violent, and non-resisting Black individuals. Our programs mobilize communities, address the root causes of inequality such as economic opportunity, and combat the systemic violence affecting Black Americans by working to build a fair legal system.
