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George Floyd

For his death, see Murder of George Floyd.

George Perry Floyd Jr. (October 14, 1973 - May 25, 2020) was an African American man who was murdered by a white police officer, Derek Chauvin, who knelt on Floyd's neck for almost 8 minutes.[note 1][2][3] Many people were angry about his death, which led to many protests in order to stop violence and racism against black people.

George Floyd
George Floyd mural Mauerpark Berlin 2020-05-30 05.jpg
A mural of Floyd in Berlin
Born
George Perry Floyd Jr.

(1973-10-14)October 14, 1973[1]
Fayetteville, North Carolina, U.S.
Died (aged 46)
Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.
Other namesBig Floyd
Occupation
  • Truck driver
  • security guard
  • rapper
Children5

Early life and education

Floyd was born in Fayetteville, North Carolina to George Perry Floyd and Larcenia "Cissy" Jones. He had four brothers and sisters.[4]

When he was 2, he and his brothers and sisters moved with their mother to Houston, Texas. They lived in public housing[5] in the Third Ward, which is one of Houston's poorest neighborhoods. He was called Perry, which was his middle name.

He played basketball and American football throughout high school and college.[6]

Floyd went to South Florida Community College for two years on a football scholarship.[7][8] He then transferred to Texas A&M University–Kingsville in 1995 before dropping out.

Some people called Floyd a "gentle giant."[9][10] He was 6 feet 4 inches (193 cm) tall and weighed 223 pounds (101 kg).[11]

Later life

Floyd returned to Houston in 1995 and became an automotive customizer and played club basketball.[12][13] He performed as a rapper from 1994 to 1997 using his stage name Big Floyd in the hip hop group Screwed Up Click. He was on several mixtapes released by DJ Screw, the founder.<[14][15][16][17]

Floyd had many jobs. He got into trouble with the law several times. From 1997 to 2005, he went to prison 8 times. Some of the things he went to jail for were drug possession, theft and home invasion.[18][19][20][note 2]

After he left jail, Floyd tried to turn his life around. He mentored other young men as part of a church group so they would not make do the same bad things he did.[19][21][22] He also helped his mother out after she had a stroke.[23]

In 2014, Floyd moved to Minneapolis to find work.[24][25] There, he was a bouncer, truck driver, and security guard.[12][26][27]

In 2020, he lost his job as a security guard because the bar where he worked at shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In April, he got COVID-19 but got better.[19][28]

Floyd had 5 children and 2 grandchildren.[28] His youngest daughter, Gianna, lives in Houston with his former partner.[29] A GoFundMe campaign to help pay for Floyd's funeral costs and benefit his family made the site's record for the most individual donations.[30]

Death

On May 25, 2020, a 44 year old white police officer named Derek Chauvin killed Floyd in Minneapolis by putting him in a chokehold during an arrest on suspicion of forgery when an employee from Cup Foods informed the Minneapolis Police Department that he had used a fake $20 bill to buy cigarettes and that he was believed to be awfully drunk and not in control of himself. Chauvin kneeled on Floyd's neck, which meant that he could not breathe. Witnesses said that Floyd was reported to plead “I can’t breathe” multiple times to the officers. Floyd could not move because he was handcuffed and lying face down.[31][32][33] Two other officers named Thomas Lane and James Alexander Keung were on Floyd's back and legs and another officer named Tou Thao stopped others from helping Floyd.[34][35][36]For the last three of those minutes, Floyd did not move and had no pulse[31][33] but officers did not try to revive him.[37] Chauvin kept his knee on Floyd's neck as paramedics attempted to treat him.[37]According to The New York Times, Chauvin had restrained Floyd for eight minutes and forty six seconds.

The second autopsy report done by the county said that Floyd's death was a homicide caused by cardiac arrest caused by him being restrained.[11][38][39] This autopsy was done after people complained about the first one, which did not say homicide was the cause of his death.

His family had an autopsy done by another doctor, which said that Floyd died of asphyxia. However, it was done without samples from his body.[40][41]

Some people nearby filmed the officers hurting Floyd and then put the videos on the Internet. Because of this, people started to protest. Protests began in Minneapolis the day after Floyd died. More protests would be held in all 50 US states and in 400 cities all around the world.[42][43]

Burial

External video
  George Floyd Memorial Service in Minneapolis, June 4, 2020, C-SPAN
  George Floyd Funeral Service in Houston, June 9, 2020, C-SPAN
 
The carriage carrying Floyd's casket to his burial in Pearland, Texas, June 9

On June 4, 2020, a memorial service for Floyd took place in Minneapolis with Al Sharpton delivering the eulogy.[9][44]

Services were planned in North Carolina with a public viewing and private service on June 6 and in Houston on June 8 and 9.[45]

Floyd is buried next to his mother in Pearland, Texas.[46][47][48]

Legacy

 
Tributes and mural outside Cup Foods, where Floyd died.

A legacy is an impact that someone leaves behind when they die. George Floyd left behind a big legacy because he died due to police violence. In the United States, the police have a history of racism and not treating minority groups right. After Floyd died, there were big efforts to stop racism everywhere in the country, not just against Black people.

Protests

Main page: George Floyd protests

Many people were sad and angry about George Floyd's death. They think it is proof that racism is still a big problem in the United States. Some people came out to the streets to protests. Many protests were peaceful. Others were violent.

Schools

Some universities created scholarships in George Floyd's name.[49] The CEO of Netflix and his wife made a $120 million donation to several historically black colleges and universities.[50][51] These schools were created by and for African Americans as they were usually not allowed to attend colleges in the past.

Law

A bill proposed by US Representative Sheila Jackson Lee (a Democrat from Texas), the George Floyd Law Enforcement Trust and Integrity Act, was made to reduce police brutality and establish national policing standards.[52][53]

8'46"

Main page: 8′46″

The length of time that Chauvin was believed to have had his knee on Floyd's neck, eight minutes forty-six seconds, was used as a "moment of silence" to honor Floyd.[54][55][note 1]

Art

Many artists around the world created murals to honor George Floyd.[56][57][58][59][60]

Media

George Floyd's death was the cover story for The Economist.[61] It wrote that his legacy was "the rich promise of social change."[62]

Hip Hop

Houston rappers have posted tributes to Floyd and called for justice in what they see as an act of police brutality against an African-American man. “R.I.P. Big Floyd He took his life in broad day may God bring his family justice,” original Screwed Up Click member Lil’ Keke wrote on Instagram. His post asked followers to call Minneapolis District Attorney Michael Freeman and demand charges be pressed against the four officers fired after detaining Floyd for an alleged forgery in progress, one of whom pushed his knee against Floyd’s neck, according to a bystander video. “Say His Name #GeorgeFloyd Rest Easy… The Fight For Us Begins Now,” rapper Trae The Truth, another member of Screwed Up Click, wrote alongside a photo of Floyd. “4 Officers Fired Aint Enough!!!” he added on a subsequent post. Minneapolis residents protested Floyd’s death and the lack of charges for the officers on May 26, and were met with more police force.[63]

George Floyd Media

  • Memorial to Floyd two days after his murder

  • Makeshift memorial near site of murder

Notes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 The initial criminal complaint gave the time as 8:46. This time was used by protesters and the media. Prosecutors later corrected this to 7:46.[2]
  2. ↑ In 1997, Floyd was arrested for giving less than one gram of cocaine to another person. In 1998, Floyd was arrested twice for theft. In 2001, Floyd was arrested for failing to provide his name, address, or birth date to a police officer. Between 2002 and 2005, he was arrested four more times: twice for possessing less than a gram of cocaine, once for giving less than a gram of cocaine to someone else, and once for trespassing. He was sentenced to a total of about 30 months in jail for those four crimes. In 2009, Floyd was sentenced to five years in prison for aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon. [18]

References

  1. ↑ "Mr. George Floyd Jr. - View Obituary & Service Information". Mr. George Floyd Jr. Obituary. Archived from the original on June 5, 2020. Retrieved June 5, 2020.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Prosecutors say officer had knee on George Floyd's neck for 7:46 rather than 8:46. June 18, 2020. https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2020-06-18/derek-chauvin-had-knee-george-floyd-neck-746-rather-than-846. Retrieved June 23, 2020. 
  3. ↑ Murder charges filed against all four officers in George Floyd's death as protests against biased policing continue. July 3, 2020. https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/06/03/george-floyd-police-officers-charges/. Retrieved July 10, 2020. 
  4. ↑ R. Hernández, Arelis; Martin, Brittney; Iati, Marisa; Beachum, Lateshia (June 10, 2020). 'Fight for my brother.' As George Floyd is laid to rest, his family implores the nation to continue quest for justice.. https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/george-floyd-funeral/2020/06/09/52774b02-aa70-11ea-a9d9-a81c1a491c52_story.html. Retrieved June 30, 2020. 
  5. ↑ Henao, Luis Andres; Merchant, Nomaan; Lozano, Juan; Geller, Adam (11 June 2020). "A long look at the complicated life of George Floyd". chicagotribune.com. Archived from the original on June 17, 2020. Retrieved 2020-06-12.
  6. ↑ Eric Levenson, Gregory Lemos and Amir Vera (June 9, 2020). "The Rev. Al Sharpton remembers George Floyd as an 'ordinary brother' who changed the world". CNN. Archived from the original on June 11, 2020. Retrieved 2020-06-11.
  7. ↑ Ebrahimji, Alisha (May 29, 2020). "This is how loved ones want us to remember George Floyd". CNN. Archived from the original on May 29, 2020. Retrieved June 1, 2020.
  8. ↑ Holton, Jennifer (May 29, 2020). "'A good guy:' College classmate, coach remember George Floyd". WTVT. Archived from the original on June 3, 2020. Retrieved June 1, 2020.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Wallace, Danielle (June 4, 2020). "Hundreds, including Al Sharpton, Eric Garner's mom, mourn at George Floyd memorial in Minneapolis". Fox News. Archived from the original on June 4, 2020. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  10. ↑ Mee, Emily (June 7, 2020). "Who was George Floyd? The 'gentle giant' who was trying to turn his life around". Sky News. Archived from the original on June 4, 2020. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 "Hennepin County ME Autopsy Report" (PDF). Hennepin County. June 1, 2020. Archived from the original on June 4, 2020. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Hall, Michael (May 31, 2020). "The Houston Years of George Floyd". Texas Monthly. Archived from the original on June 4, 2020. Retrieved June 5, 2020.
  13. ↑ Lance Scott Walker (2019). Houston Rap Tapes: An Oral History of Bayou City Hip-Hop. University of Texas Press. p. 83. ISBN 9781477317938. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  14. ↑ Julian, Gill (May 27, 2020). "Before dying in Minneapolis police custody, George Floyd grew up in Houston's Third Ward". Houston Chronicle. https://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/George-Floyd-police-brutality-minneapolis-dead-vid-15296192.php. Retrieved May 30, 2020. 
  15. ↑ Burney, Lawrence (May 29, 2020). "The Rap Report: To George Floyd a.k.a. Big Floyd of the legendary Screwed Up Click". FADER. Archived from the original on June 1, 2020. Retrieved June 1, 2020.
  16. ↑ Greene, David; Tanis, Fatma; Rezvani, Arezou (June 10, 2020). "Houston's Hip-Hop Scene Remembers George Floyd". NPR.org. Archived from the original on June 11, 2020. Retrieved 2020-06-11.
  17. ↑ Neale, Matthew (2020-06-07). "George Floyd's rap collaborator remembers "legendary" freestyler". NME Music News. Archived from the original on June 10, 2020. Retrieved 2020-06-12.
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 Lee, Jessica (June 12, 2020). "EXCLUSIVE: Investigating George Floyd's Criminal Record". Snopes.com. Retrieved 2020-06-13.
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 Fernandez, Manny; Burch, Audra D. S. (2020-06-10). "George Floyd, From 'I Want to Touch the World' to 'I Can't Breathe'" (in en-US). The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331 . https://www.nytimes.com/article/george-floyd-who-is.html. Retrieved 2020-06-11. 
  20. ↑ Jervis, Rick (June 9, 2020). "'George Floyd changed the world': Public viewing in Houston honors the man behind the social justice movement". USA TODAY. Archived from the original on June 11, 2020. Retrieved 2020-06-11.
  21. ↑ "An athlete, friend and father - who was George Floyd?" (in en-GB). BBC News. May 31, 2020. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52871936. Retrieved June 4, 2020. 
  22. ↑ Shellnutt, Kate (June 5, 2020). "George Floyd Left a Gospel Legacy in Houston". Christianity Today. Archived from the original on June 1, 2020. Retrieved June 1, 2020.
  23. ↑ Kantor, Wendy Grossman (June 10, 2020). "Years Before George Floyd Cried Out for Late Mom in Final Moments, He Nursed Her After Stroke". PEOPLE.com. Archived from the original on June 11, 2020. Retrieved 2020-06-11.
  24. ↑ Toone, Stephanie (May 29, 2020). Floyd's brother tearfully asked for justice and peace following the 46-year-old bouncer's death Thursday. Atlanta Journal-Constitution. https://www.ajc.com/news/victim-police-encounter-had-started-new-life-minnesota/rMmT2wipeQFNnsypmh6oBL/. Retrieved May 30, 2020. "George Floyd moved to Minneapolis a few years ago from his native Houston, Texas, seeking new opportunities, following some close friends who had done likewise, and found jobs in the Minnesota city.". 
  25. ↑ Evelyn, Kenya (June 3, 2020). "'I miss him': George Floyd's daughter speaks out for first time". The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jun/03/george-floyd-daughter-gianna-speaks-out. Retrieved June 5, 2020. "She added Floyd was a good father who wanted his daughter 'to have the best'.". 
  26. ↑ Richmond, Todd (May 28, 2020). "Who was George Floyd? Unemployed due to coronavirus, he'd moved to Minneapolis for a fresh start". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on June 3, 2020. Retrieved June 3, 2020.
  27. ↑ George Floyd was killed on May 25. June 4, 2020. https://www.economist.com/obituary/2020/06/04/george-floyd-was-killed-on-may-25th. Retrieved June 5, 2020. "He liked being a bouncer. His regular stint was at the Conga Latin Bistro on East Hennepin, another Mexican-Latino joint with dining and dancing.". 
  28. ↑ 28.0 28.1 Vagianos, Alanna (2020-06-09). "'He's Gonna Change The World': George Floyd's Family Remembers The Man They Lost". HuffPost. Archived from the original on June 11, 2020. Retrieved 2020-06-11.
  29. ↑ Pereira, Ivan. "Family members, dignitaries honor George Floyd at funeral service in Houston". ABC News. Archived from the original on June 11, 2020. Retrieved 2020-06-11.
  30. ↑ Parke, Caleb (2020-06-05). "George Floyd GoFundMe surpasses $13 million, breaks donation record". Fox News. Archived from the original on June 12, 2020. Retrieved 2020-06-12.
  31. ↑ 31.0 31.1 "Complaint – State of Minnesota v. Derek Michael Chauvin" (PDF). Minnesota District Court, Fourth Judicial District, File No. 27-CR-20-12646. May 29, 2020. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 30, 2020.
  32. ↑ Brooks, Jennifer (May 28, 2020). "George Floyd and the city that killed him". Star Tribune. Archived from the original on May 28, 2020. Retrieved May 29, 2020. Down the road, people were marching and mourning Floyd, whose irreplaceable life ended after an arrest face-down on the asphalt of E. 38th Street.
  33. ↑ 33.0 33.1 Silverman, Hollie (May 29, 2020). "Floyd was 'non-responsive' for nearly 3 minutes before officer took knee off his neck, complaint says". CNN. Archived from the original on May 30, 2020. Retrieved May 29, 2020. Chauvin had his knee on Floyd's neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds in total, and 2 minutes and 53 seconds after Floyd was unresponsive, the complaint said.
  34. ↑ Bennett, Dalton; Lee, Joyce; Cahlan, Sarah (May 30, 2020). The death of George Floyd: What video and other records show about his final minutes. https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/05/30/video-timeline-george-floyd-death/. Retrieved June 1, 2020.  (video @ YouTube Archived June 2, 2020, at the Wayback Machine)
  35. ↑ Mannix, Andy (May 26, 2020). "What we know about Derek Chauvin and Tou Thao, two of the officers caught on tape in the death of George Floyd". Star Tribune. https://www.startribune.com/what-we-know-about-derek-chauvin-and-tou-thao-two-of-the-officers-caught-on-tape-in-the-death-of-george-floyd/570777632/. Retrieved May 27, 2020. 
  36. ↑ "Officer Charged With George Floyd's Death as Protests Flare". The New York Times. May 29, 2020. https://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2020/05/29/us/ap-us-minneapolis-police-death-protests.html. Retrieved June 4, 2020. 
  37. ↑ 37.0 37.1 Hill, Evan; Tiefenthäler, Ainara; Triebert, Christiaan; Jordan, Drew; Willis, Haley; Stein, Robin (May 31, 2020). "8 Minutes and 46 Seconds: How George Floyd Was Killed in Police Custody". The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/31/us/george-floyd-investigation.html. Retrieved June 1, 2020.  (video @ YouTube Archived June 1, 2020, at the Wayback Machine)
  38. ↑ "George Floyd death was homicide, says updated medical examiner's report". www.abc.net.au. June 1, 2020. Archived from the original on June 2, 2020. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  39. ↑ Hennepin County Medical Examiner (June 1, 2020). "Floyd, George Perry". Press release. https://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/MNHENNE/2020/06/01/file_attachments/1464238/2020-3700%20Floyd,%20George%20Perry%20Update%206.1.2020.pdf. Retrieved June 12, 2020. 
  40. ↑ Furber, Matt; Burch, Audra D. S.; Robles, Frances (May 29, 2020). "George Floyd Worked With Officer Charged in His Death". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331 . https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/29/us/derek-chauvin-george-floyd-worked-together.html. Retrieved May 30, 2020. 
  41. ↑ Wagner, Grace Hauck and Dennis. "George Floyd death: Experts say knee-to-neck restraint is dangerous, but Minneapolis allows it". USA TODAY. Archived from the original on June 1, 2020. Retrieved 2020-06-23.
  42. ↑ Murphy, Esme (May 26, 2020). 'I Can't Breathe!': Video Of Fatal Arrest Shows Minneapolis Officer Kneeling On George Floyd's Neck For Several Minutes. KSTP-TV. https://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2020/05/26/george-floyd-man-dies-after-being-arrested-by-minneapolis-police-fbi-called-to-investigate/. Retrieved May 26, 2020. "While lying facedown on the road, Floyd repeatedly groans and says he can't breathe.". 
  43. ↑ Donaghue, Erin (May 29, 2020). "Mayor makes emotional call for peace after violent protests: 'I believe in Minneapolis'". CBS News. Archived from the original on May 29, 2020. Retrieved May 29, 2020.
  44. ↑ Ling, Thomas (June 2020). "How to watch the George Floyd memorial online and on TV". Radio Times. Archived from the original on June 24, 2020. Retrieved June 6, 2020.
  45. ↑ Burke, Minyvonne (June 6, 2020). "George Floyd memorial in North Carolina as sheriff's officers escort his body". NBC News. Retrieved June 6, 2020.
  46. ↑ Lozano, Juan A.; Merchant, Nomaan (June 8, 2020). "Floyd's casket arrives at Houston church for public viewing". AP News. Archived from the original on June 8, 2020. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
  47. ↑ Croft, Jay (June 9, 2020). "Mourners visit George Floyd's casket in Houston to pay respects". CNN. Archived from the original on June 8, 2020. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
  48. ↑ "George Floyd's Body Returns To Houston For Memorial Service, Funeral". CBS News. June 7, 2020. https://dfw.cbslocal.com/2020/06/07/george-floyd-body-returns-houston-memorial-service-funeral/. Retrieved June 9, 2020. 
  49. ↑ Nietzel, Michael T. (June 4, 2020). "A University President Challenges Every College In America To Fund A George Floyd Memorial Scholarship". Forbes. Archived from the original on June 4, 2020. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  50. ↑ Togoh, Isabel. "Netflix CEO Reed Hastings Donates $120 Million To HBCUs: 'We Hope This Will Help More Black Students Follow Their Dreams'". Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/isabeltogoh/2020/06/17/netflix-ceo-reed-hastings-donates-120-million-to-hbcus-we-hope-this-will-help-more-black-students-follow-their-dreams/. Retrieved 2020-06-17. 
  51. ↑ St. Amour, Madeline. "Netflix CEO Donates Millions to HBCUs". Archived from the original on June 18, 2020. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
  52. ↑ Siegel, Benjamin (June 4, 2020). "House Democrats introduce policing reform bill named for George Floyd". ABC News. Archived from the original on June 11, 2020. Retrieved 2020-06-06.
  53. ↑ Kim, Caitlyn (June 4, 2020). "Congress Is Eyeing Legislative Solutions To Police Brutality, Including Jason Crow" (in en). Colorado Public Radio. https://www.cpr.org/2020/06/04/congress-is-eyeing-legislative-solutions-to-police-brutality-including-jason-crow/. Retrieved June 6, 2020. 
  54. ↑ Cummings, William; King, Ledyard; Hayes, Christal (June 8, 2020). "Democrats unveil sweeping police reform bill, honor George Floyd with 8 minutes, 46 seconds of silence". USA Today. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/06/08/democrats-gather-silence-honor-george-floyd-ahmaud-arbery/3155884001/. Retrieved June 12, 2020. 
  55. ↑ DeCambre, Mark (June 9, 2020). "New York Stock Exchange observe 8 minutes and 46 seconds of silence in honor of George Floyd's memory". Market Watch. https://www.marketwatch.com/story/new-york-stock-exchange-observes-moment-of-silence-in-honor-of-george-floyds-funeral-2020-06-09. Retrieved June 12, 2020. 
  56. ↑ "'Black Lives Matter' mural solidarity with family of George Floyd". Archived from the original on June 24, 2020. Retrieved June 6, 2020 – via www.facebook.com.
  57. ↑ Jonathan Jones (June 5, 2020). "Ghost, angel, martyr: the brutal brilliance of George Floyd murals from Syria to Belfast". The Guardian. Archived from the original on June 5, 2020. Retrieved June 5, 2020.
  58. ↑ Adam Jeffery , Hannah Miller (June 5, 2020). "Murals of George Floyd emerge around the world". CNBC. Archived from the original on June 24, 2020. Retrieved June 6, 2020.
  59. ↑ Steele, Austin; Almond, Kyle (June 6, 2020). "George Floyd murals are popping up all over the world". CNN. Archived from the original on June 24, 2020. Retrieved June 6, 2020.
  60. ↑ "'Positive revolution.' Miami artist paints mural in Overtown of Floyd, Taylor, Kaepernick". Miami Herald. Archived from the original on June 6, 2020. Retrieved June 6, 2020.
  61. ↑ How George Floyd's death reverberates around the world. ISSN 0013-0613 . https://www.economist.com/international/2020/06/08/how-george-floyds-death-reverberates-around-the-world. Retrieved 2020-07-12. 
  62. ↑ The power of protest and the legacy of George Floyd. June 11, 2020. ISSN 0013-0613 . https://www.economist.com/leaders/2020/06/11/the-power-of-protest-and-the-legacy-of-george-floyd. Retrieved 2020-06-11. 
  63. ↑ Curto, Justin (2020-05-27). "George Floyd Was a Houston Rapper Who Worked With DJ Screw". Vulture. Retrieved 2021-05-10.
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