The city of Minneapolis has been awarded a special “Vision Grant” by the National Trust for Historic Preservation to construct a memorial in honor of George Floyd, TMZ reports.
The awarded allocation is through the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund. The goal is to make sure certain memorial sites that were created since Floyd’s death are preserved. Over time, the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund has gifted over $1.6 million dollars to 27 various sites. The city of Minneapolis was awarded $50,000.
The location where Floyd died at the hands of former Minneapolis police officer Derrick Chauvin, on 38th St. and Chicago Ave., is one area the city is seeking to have protected.
According to TMZ, city officials have been speaking with residents about how to best remember Floyd. They are currently exploring the idea of memorializing him through various methods such as the changing of street names, memorial plaques, statues, as well as the idea of naming a community center after him.
National Trust for Historic Preservation spokesperson Brenda Jones hopes the move will lead to “other opportunities to invest in the preservation and protection of African American history in Minneapolis, including the murals commemorating the sacrifice of George Floyd.”
Since Floyd’s death, the city of Minneapolis has taken great strides to make a change and establish trust between the police and the community. In June, the city council voted unanimously to dismantle the Minneapolis Police Department. A new agreement was also established to ban chokeholds. The agreement requires officers to immediately report the use of any neck restraint or chokehold.
All four officers, Chauvin, Thomas Lane, J. Alexander Kueng, and Tou Thou, involved in the police killing of Floyd were charged in June for the alleged murder that occurred on Memorial Day weekend.
Chauvin, the ex-cop who was caught on tape with his knee pressed into Floyd’s neck as he pled for his life, remains behind bars until the former officers’ scheduled trial for March of next year.
Recently released bodycam footage shows Floyd’s last minutes, including a visibly nervous Floyd saying that he had been shot before and then him begging for his life as he said the words, “I can’t breathe” over 20 times.
Floyd’s family is currently in the process of filing a civil lawsuit for an undisclosed amount against the city as well as the four officers.