The family and friends of George Floyd, a Black man who was killed by Minneapolis police officers, will gather to celebrate his life on the one-year anniversary of his tragic death.
According to the Star Tribune, the event, which will be hosted by the George Floyd Global Memorial, will take place on May 25 at 38th and Chicago in South Minneapolis. It will start at 1 p.m. and include activities for children, community art, an open mic session, concerts and a DJ. The ceremony will conclude with a candlelight vigil honoring Floyd at 8 p.m. at the site where he was killed, outside of the Cup Foods convenience store.
“George Floyd Square and the George Floyd Global Memorial were built by members of the community who wanted to preserve the site where my nephew lost his life,” Angela Harrelson, Floyd’s aunt, said in a statement. “On the anniversary of his death, we will celebrate the impact of his life on our family, friends, the community and our society.”
Last year, Floyd was killed by four Minneapolis police officers — Derek Chauvin, Thomas Lane, J. Kueng and Tou Thao — after being accused of using counterfeit money in a local convenience store. As Floyd was being apprehended, Chauvin held his knee on his neck for more than nine minutes as he yelled, “I can’t breathe,” multiple times.
Floyd’s death, which was caught on camera, sparked nationwide protests and reignited the Black Lives Matter movement. Several celebrities, including Jamie Foxx, Beyoncé, Rihanna and Janelle Monáe, spoke out demanding justice for Floyd.
Last month, Chauvin was found guilty of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter for Floyd’s death. He will be sentenced on June 25. The trial for Thao, Lane and Kueng was initially set to begin in August, but was pushed back until March 2022 to prevent the trial from being affected by the publicity from Chauvin’s case.