Darnella Frazier, the teen who captured the unjust killing of George Floyd, was honored at the BET Awards 2021. During the ceremony on Sunday (June 27), Lauren London took the stage to praise the young woman for her courage and present her with the Shine A Light award.
Though Frazier was unable to attend the event, the Without Remorse actress praised her for “contributions to social justice” — something that eventually played a part in getting the Floyd family some justice.
After recording and posting the now-viral video of Floyd’s final moments, Frazier gave a heartfelt and emotional testimony of her observation during the three-week long murder trial of Derek Chauvin, the former officer who suffocated Floyd to death for nearly nine minutes.
Both her video and story were vital in the judge’s decision to convict Chauvin on charges of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. He was later sentenced to 22 and half years in prison but may only face 15 years if he maintains good behavior. He is also required to register as a predatory offender and can not own a gun or explosives for the rest of his life.
Frazier’s honor at the BET Awards was immediately celebrated by social media users. “Thank you #darnellafrazier You are a hero and an ICON!!!” wrote one Twitter user.
“I’m always here for the acknowledgment of Darnella Frazier and her impact on social justice. Thanks for seeing her,” added a second person.
A third person wrote, “BET Awards is so Black, it has just acknowledged the heroic and historic contribution of Darnella Frazier to the culture, the nation and the world.”
Frazier’s BET Award comes after she was awarded with a Pulitzer prize “for courageously recording the murder of George Floyd, a video that spurred protests against police brutality around the world, highlighting the crucial role of citizens in journalists’ quest for truth and justice.”
See the tweets congratulating Darnella Frazier below.