Protests

George Floyd Mourned, Celebrated as Death Used as Call to Action

Rev. Al Sharpton announced plans to hold a commemorative march on Washington on Aug. 28, the 57th anniversary of the historic March on Washington

NBCUniversal, Inc. Rev. Al Sharpton, founder of the National Action Network, addressed the crowd at George Floyd’s memorial service on Thursday in Minneapolis.

A mural honoring George Floyd was projected above his golden coffin, where mourners knelt and cried, paused and prayed Thursday at his memorial service. Its simple message: “I can breathe now.”

But for far too many black Americans, dreams have been dashed and goals not achieved because they still cannot breathe, said the Rev. Al Sharpton, who eulogized Floyd in Minneapolis on Thursday.

“The reason we could never be who we wanted and dreamed to be is you kept your knee on our neck,” Sharpton said in reference to Floyd’s May 25 arrest, during which a white Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee into the handcuffed black man’s neck for several minutes even after Floyd stopped moving and pleading for air.

“What happened to Floyd happens every day in this country,” Sharpton said. “It’s time for us to stand up in George’s name and say, ‘Get your knee off our neck!'"

Floyd’s memorial service was a send-off that his family felt he deserved — they paid heartfelt tribute to a man they affectionately called “Perry.” With many of Minnesota’s top elected leaders in the room, along with members of Congress, the service included strong calls for meaningful changes in policing and the criminal justice system.

Ben Crump, the attorney for George Floyd's family, spoke at the memorial for Floyd and called for people to stand up to evil.

During eulogy remarks, Sharpton revealed plans to hold a commemorative march on Washington on Aug. 28, the 57th anniversary of the historic March on Washington, as part of a push for federal policing reforms.

“When we fight for the George Floyds of the world — and more importantly, the unknown George Floyds of the world — we are helping America be America for all Americans,” said Floyd family attorney Ben Crump, who listed off the names of other African American men and women killed by police.

Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, who represents Floyd’s native Houston and attended the service, said she and other lawmakers on Thursday introduced police accountability legislation named after Floyd. The measure calls for improved training for police departments and standards for how the use of deadly force and misconduct are investigated, among other aims.

“We have put a stop sign in front of America — there will be no more” unchecked killing by police, Jackson Lee told The Associated Press. “I will never forget the words ‘I can’t breathe.’ America cannot allow people to die in the 21st century.”

She was among dozens of other politicians, celebrities, civil rights activists and family members of Floyd who sang “Amazing Grace,” prayed and joined together in a rousing memorial that was a celebration for a man whose death at the hands of police has sparked protests nationwide and calls for an end to racial injustice.

A large crowd gathered in Brooklyn, where George Floyd's brother Terrance lives, to celebrate George's life.

Inside the service, held in the Frank J. Lindquist sanctuary at North Central University, mourners wore masks, some with the words “I can’t breathe” on them. Organizers issued several reminders for attendees to keep some social distance. Many attendees bumped elbows rather than hug or shake hands at the memorial taking place in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.

It was not the coronavirus that killed Floyd, Crump said in his service remarks, but the “pandemic of racism and discrimination.”

Floyd’s brother and other family members told personal stories about dancing, playing football, cooking and enjoying life together. They said he was also known by other endearing nicknames such as “Georgie Porgie.”

“George, he was like a general,” brother Philonise Floyd said. “Every day he would walk outside, there would be a line of people wanting to greet him. ... He was powerful, man. He had a way with words. ... Everybody loved George.”

Projected above the pulpit inside the sanctuary was the blue and orange mural that was painted at the site of a makeshift memorial in the neighborhood where Floyd pleaded for air. A small band and choir sang “Goin’ Up Yonder” and other classic gospel songs as mourners gathered. Grammy Award-winning gospel singer Bishop Hezekiah Walker closed the service with the song “Every Praise.”

Others in attendance included Martin Luther King III; Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar; Reps. Ilhan Omar, Ayanna Pressley and Joyce Beatty; rapper T.I. and his wife Tameka “Tiny” Harris; rapper Ludacris; singer Tyrese Gibson; comedians Kevin Hart and Tiffany Haddish; and actress Marsai Martin.

Floyd’s body will go from the first service to Raeford, North Carolina, the state where he was born 46 years ago, for a two-hour public viewing and private service for the family on Saturday.

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Demonstrators protest at the makeshift memorial in honor of George Floyd, on June 2, 2020 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Thousands of National Guard troops patrolled major US cities after protests over racism and police brutality sparked more clashes between police, protestors and looters.
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Demonstrators protest at the makeshift memorial in honor of George Floyd, on June 2, 2020 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Thousands of National Guard troops patrolled major US cities after protests over racism and police brutality sparked more clashes between police, protestors and looters.
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Protesters demonstrate on June 2, 2020, during a “Black Lives Matter” protest in New York City. Anti-racism protests have put several U.S. cities under early evening curfew to suppress rioting, following the death of George Floyd while in police custody.
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People kneel in front of a line of California Highway Patrol officers in Redwood City, California, June 2, 2020, at a protest over the death of George Floyd, who died May 25 in Minneapolis after being restrained by police.
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A protesters takes a moment during a speech to the crowd as they march through Hollywood during a demonstration over the death of George Floyd while in police custody, in Los Angeles, June 2, 2020. Anti-racism protests have put several US cities under curfew to suppress protests and rioting, following the death of George Floyd in police custody.
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Demonstrators put their hands behind their heads before being taken into custody after the city’s curfew went into effect, June 2, 2020, in Los Angeles.
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Demonstrators protest at the makeshift memorial in honor of George Floyd, on June 2, 2020 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Thousands of National Guard troops patrolled major US cities after protests over racism and police brutality sparked more clashes between police, protestors and looters.
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Protesters take over I-10’s elevated portion during a march in New Orleans, June 2, 2020, protesting the death of George Floyd, who died after being restrained by Minneapolis police officers on May 25.
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Protesters raise clenched fists during a Black Lives Matter protest in Hyde Park on June 3, 2020, in London, United Kingdom. The death of an African-American man, George Floyd, while in the custody of Minneapolis police has sparked protests across the United States, as well as demonstrations of solidarity in many countries around the world.
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Protesters march past a statue of President John F. Kennedy in Brooklyn, New York on June 6, 2020
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A marcher at a protest in Brooklyn, New York, on June 6, 2020
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Protesters' signs at a march on June 6, 2020, in Brooklyn, New York.
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Protesters at a march in Brooklyn, New York, on June 6, 2020
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Protesters march through Brooklyn on June 6, 2020
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Protestors kneel in front of the police during a demonstration over the death of George Floyd and pattern of police brutality against black Americans in Hollywood, June 2, 2020.
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Los Angeles police officers kneel during a rally led by Baptist Ministers to City Hall on June 2, 2020 in memory of George Floyd.
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Police arrest protesters defying an imposed curfew during a march to protest police brutality in the wake of George Floyd’s death, June 2, 2020, in New York. Floyd died after being restrained by Minneapolis police officers on May 25.
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Demonstrators kneel in Redwood City, California, June 2, 2020, at a protest over the death of George Floyd, who died in Minneapolis after being restrained by police.
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Hundreds of demonstrators march toward Lafayette Park and the White House to protest against police brutality and the death of George Floyd, on June 2, 2020, in Washington, DC.
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Demonstrators engage in a peaceful protest outside of the state capitol building as unrest continues around the country following the death of George Floyd on June 2, 2020, in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Protesters demonstrate on June 2, 2020, during a “Black Lives Matter” protest in New York City. Anti-racism protests have put several US cities under curfew to suppress rioting, following the death of George Floyd while in police custody.
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A shop owner looks over damage in a looted souvenir and electronics shop near Times Square after a night of protests and vandalism over the death of George Floyd early June 2, 2020, in New York City.
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Less-than-lethal rifle rounds are fired near protesters and motorists surrounded by police as large numbers of people are arrested after a curfew went into effect on June 2, 2020, in Los Angeles. The vast majority of protestors demonstrated peacefully.
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Protesters gather, while observing social distancing, during a demonstration on the Malieveld in The Hague on June 2, 2020, after the police killing of unarmed black man George Floyd in the U.S.
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The Socialist Unity Centre of India (SUCI) march to condemn the killing of Minneapolis resident George Floyd, June 1, 2020 in Kolkata, India.
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Posters drawn in protest of George Floyd’s death is posted outside the U.S. Consulate General office in Edinburgh.
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Thousand gather in Amsterdam, Netherlands, June 1, 2020, to protest against police brutality against black people in America and around the world.
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Australian protesters rally in Martin Place during a ”Black Lives Matter” demonstration, held in solidarity with protests over the death of George Floyd, in Sydney, Australia, June 2, 2020. The event was organized to rally against aboriginal deaths in custody in Australia as well as in solidarity with protests across the United States following Floyd’s death.
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Youth members of the Greek communist party protest in front of the U. S. Embassy in Athens over the death of George Floyd.
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Young Turkish leftist demonstrators clash with police at Kadikoy in Istanbul on June 2, 2020, as leftist groups gather in support of US protesters over the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man who died after a police officer kneeled on his neck for several minutes, and against police violence in Turkey.
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A man walks past the burned remains of a car that was towed away, after the unrest from the past few nights, in Washington, D.C., June 2, 2020.
Protesters gather, while observing social distancing, during a demonstration on the Malieveld in The Hague on June 2, 2020, after the police killing of unarmed black man George Floyd in the U.S.
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People take part in a demonstration at Belfast City Hall on June 1, 2020, in Belfast, United Kingdom. The death of an African-American man, George Floyd, while in the custody of Minneapolis police has sparked protests across the United States, as well as demonstrations of solidarity in many countries around the world.
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Wolverhampton Wanderers players take the knee in memory of George Floyd in a training session at Sir Jack Hayward Training Ground on June 2, 2020 in Wolverhampton, England.
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Protesters gather at Barclays Center in Brooklyn during a protest against the death of George Floyd on June 1, 2020, in New York. The protests spread across the country in at least 30 cities across the United States, as well as Australia, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and India.
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Protesters stand on the street during the phenomenon known as Manhattanhenge in Times Square on June 1, 2020, in New York. The protests spread across the country in at least 30 cities across the United States, over the death of unarmed black man George Floyd at the hands of a police officer, which was the latest police involved death of a black American.
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Workers clean up after a protest on June 2, 2020, in New York City’s Rockefeller Center. Protests spread across the country in at least 30 cities across the United States, over the death of unarmed black man George Floyd at the hands of a police officer – the latest death in a series of police involved deaths of a black American.
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Protestors in New York kneeled to demand justice for George Floyd in the streets during a protest over the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man who died after he was pinned down by a white police officer, June 1, 2020.
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Police detain and arrest a man during a protest over the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man who died after being pinned down by a white police officer in Washington, D.C., June 1, 2020. Protests and riots continue in cities across US following the death of George Floyd for the seventh night in a row.
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In this Saturday, May 30, 2020, photo, Camden County Metro Police Chief Joe Wysocki raises a fist while marching with Camden residents and activists in Camden, N.J., to protest the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
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People gather at site where George Floyd died May 25 while in police custody, on June 1, 2020, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. George’s brother Terrence Floyd visited the site today and called for justice and the prosecution of all four officers involved in the incident.
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Demonstrators confront law enforcement during a protest on June 1, 2020, in downtown Washington, DC.
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Demonstrators rally in San Francisco on Sunday, May 31, 2020, protesting the death of George Floyd, who died after being restrained by Minneapolis police officers on May 25.
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A woman carries a ‘Black Lives Matter’ sign past U.S. National Guard troops in the Fairfax District, an area damaged during yesterday’s unrest, after the troops were activated by California Governor Gavin Newsom following violent demonstrations in response to George Floyd’s death on May 31, 2020, in Los Angeles, California.
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Protesters holding a Black Lives Matter banner shout at law enforcement officers on May 30, 2020, in Seattle, Washington. A peaceful rally was held earlier in the day expressing outrage over the death of George Floyd who died while in the custody of police in Minneapolis. Police deployed flash bangs and tear gas to break up the crowd who were breaking windows and looting stores.
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A man waves a Black Lives Matter flag atop the CNN logo during a protest in response to the police killing of George Floyd outside the CNN Center on May 29, 2020, in Atlanta, Georgia.
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Thousands of people attend a rally next to the Colorado State Capitol to protest the death of George Floyd on May 30, 2020, in Denver, Colorado. The city of Denver has enacted a curfew starting Saturday night and Governor Jared Polis has called in the Colorado National Guard after two nights of protests wreaked havoc across the city.
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Protesters kneel behind a gate during a demonstration outside the White House in Washington, DC, on May 29, 2020, over the death of George Floyd, a black man who died after a white policeman kneeled on his neck for several minutes.
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Protesters raise a fist in front of the burning Minneapolis 3rd police precinct on Thursday, May 28, 2020, during the third day of protests over the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
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Protesters set a shop on fire on Thursday, May 28, 2020, during the third day of protests over the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
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Former Minnesota Gopher and NFL player Tyrone Carter pleaded with protesters not to tear up their city as he hugged Tony L Clark at the site where George Floyd was killed at the hands of Minneapolis police.
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Tony L Clark, left, consoles Gwen Dumas at the site where George Floyd was killed in front of the Cup Food Store. Protesters gathered at 38th and Chicago where George Floyd was killed for the third night of protests on May 28, 2020.
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Hundreds of protesters marched in downtown Minneapolis, May 28, 2020, to support CAIR-Minnesota’s call for the arrest of the police who killed George Floyd.
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Protesters throw objects into a fire outside a Target store near the Third Police Precinct on May 28, 2020 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, during a demonstration over the death of George Floyd. A police precinct in Minnesota went up in flames late on May 28 in a third day of demonstrations as the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul seethed over the shocking police killing of Floyd.

Finally, a public viewing will be held Monday in Houston, where he was raised and lived most of his life. A 500-person service on Tuesday will take place at The Fountain of Praise church and will include addresses from Sharpton, Crump, and the Rev. Remus E. Wright, the family pastor. Former Vice President Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, may attend, and other political figures and celebrities are expected as well. A private burial will follow.

Floyd’s final journey was designed with intention, Sharpton said ahead of Thursday’s service. Having left Houston for Minneapolis in 2014 in search of a job and a new life, Floyd will retrace that path in death.

Many mourners have noted that among the wrenching cries that Floyd made in his final moments, one was for his mother, Larcenia Floyd, who had died two years earlier.

Sharpton said George Floyd was calling for his mother because, as he neared death, she had her hands outstretched to him calling him back home.

“Come on, George,” Sharpton said. “I’ll welcome you where the wicked will cease from troubling you, where the weary will get rest. It’s a place where police don’t put knees on you, George.”

The Associated Press/NBC
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