May 25, 2020. A day that sparked a nationwide movement. A day that we lost a human, just like any of us, due to police brutality. George Floyd was a 46-year-old African American man, buying cigarettes with what appeared to be a counterfeit 20 dollar bill. The employee that assisted him with the purchase called the police, to report to them the situation. 17 minutes later after the first squad car arrived, Mr.Floyd was lying on the flood pinned beneath not one, but three police officers, showing little to no signs of life. With a combination of bystanders and security cameras, the shocking and disturbing video reached all corners of the world. The videos show Mr.Floyd pleading that he was unable to breathe, calling out for help. Seeing and hearing the cry of a man who is scared for his life grabbed all of our hearts when we first saw the video. This unfortunate turn of events caused for the next day, for all four officers to be fired from the Minneapolis Police Department. On May 29th, four days after the murder, the Hennepin County Attorney, Mike Freeman, announced third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter charges against Derek Chauvin, the officer seen most clearly in witness videos pinning Mr. Floyd to the ground. Derek Chauvin had his knee on George Floyd’s neck for eight minutes and 15 seconds, longer than was necessary. According to investigations of the videos, Derek Chauvin didn’t even remove his knee after Mr.Floyd lost consciousness and for a full minute and 20 seconds after the paramedics arrived at the scene.
As of this recording, the trial for George Floyd’s murder is ongoing. Eight minutes and 15 seconds has been a rallying cry in practically every protest to bring justice for Mr.Floyd. As this topic is heavy to process, we must come to the recognition that this type of attention has been targeted towards African Americans since the beginning of this country’s founding. African Americans have had to fight for the most simple basic rights that have been denied to them due to the color of their skin. The Civil Rights movement that occurred in the 60’s and 70’s, were just the beginning of this wave of overdue recognition. Due to COVID-19, more people are on their screens more and have more time to give their time to acknowledge this sad turn of events. As a nation, we mourned together, comforted one another, and made our voices heard together. We shouldn’t wait for someone to lose their life to take a bit of time and talk about the conversations that seem too heavy to carry alone.
This tragedy, it has given some people the ability to educate themselves about how they can help the Black Lives Matter movement, and how to learn to be more understanding and open to one another. Many articles and podcasts have been published where people have been having the conversation about race and how some have more freedom in this country. By acknowledging our differences and how they can bring us together rather than divide us, we can make sure that another travesty like this doesn’t happen again.
If you would like to show your support, feel free to check out the Black Lives Matter website to find resources to aid them.