3 days of events will observe the anniversary of George Floyd’s death

MINNEAPOLIS — Three days of events will take place in downtown Minneapolis to commemorate the anniversary of George Floyd’s death, which marked an inflection point in the movement for Black lives in Minneapolis and around the world.

From May 23 to 25, the George Floyd Memorial Foundation will hold a rally in front of the Hennepin County Government Center, panel discussions about translating 2020’s season of protest into lasting policy changes, and a celebration of life with food, inflatables and performances by gospel star Le’Andria Johnson as well as local musicians in the Commons park.

The foundation was created by Floyd’s sister, Bridgett Floyd.

While Floyd’s family has endured much pain over the past year, they also received “some triumph” through their record $27 million settlement with the city and the conviction of Derek Chauvin on all three charges, foundation director Jacari Harris said at a virtual news conference Thursday.

“Now it is time to continue the legacy of George Floyd; it is time to continue the good work. It is time to continue to hold our police officers accountable, our elected officials accountable. It is time to ensure that we bring healing and unity within the community,” he said.

That includes taking stock of what has really changed since Floyd’s death, Harris added.

The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2020, a raft of police reforms under deliberation in Congress, has not yet passed. Scores of unarmed Black people — including Daunte Wright in Brooklyn Center and Andre Hill in Columbus, Ohio — have been killed by police since Floyd.

“I really thought my brother’s death would be the last police brutality case. But as we can all see, they are at it again and again and again,” Bridgett Floyd said. “We are human beings. We bleed the same way they bleed. The same breath God put in our body, he puts in their body.”

The George Floyd Memorial Foundation events will be contained to downtown Minneapolis. There will be food, music and a candlelit vigil from 1-9 p.m. May 25 at 38th Street and Chicago Avenue, where Floyd took his last breath. That event is organized by the George Floyd Global Memorial, founded by Jeanelle Austin, a lead occupier of the semi-autonomous zone known as George Floyd Square.

Worldwide Outreach for Christ, the longtime church in the intersection, will also have a cookout.