Honoring the legacy of George Floyd

Four years later after 05/25/2020

It has been four years since 05/25/20 when Minneapolis, Derek Chauvin and three of his fellow police officers, killed George Floyd leading to the Black Lives Matter marches throughout the United States and Europe. 

To what extent has the social consciousness of Americans been raised? Terrance Floyd, George’s younger brother who started We Are Floyd, a non profit organization dedicated to social justice and police reform, said, “Slow motion is better than no motion,” during a CNN interview on a segment on the fourth anniversary for George Floyd’s killing.

One might like to think that social consciousness has been raised about the systemic racism in American society and that people with such a rise in consciousness would be working for systemic change. 

One might also observe the backlash of the white supremist elements of American society that seek to censor the information about discriminatory behavior and even misinform and spread disinformation. Over 96% 0f 7,300 BLM demonstrations were peaceful.

How can the life of George Floyd and hundreds of other black Americans killed by police violence be honored? By changing the racist policing and carceral system in the United States. How can a person best do that? By police monitoring and providing public witness to injustice when it occurs and advocating for reform involving equity, and compassion for all people especially those who have been enslaved, subjugated, and oppressed.

One might like to think that a life, any life, but especially one ended by tragic and avoidable circumstances could count for something. What is the legacy of such a person’s life and how can that life be honored and remembered in ways that exalt its meaning? It is up to us, the survivors, to craft this meaning in such a way that it benefits the people who live on.