On May 25, 2020, just five years ago, Minneapolis police arrested 46-year-old George Floyd. A convenience store clerk called police and reported that Floyd had used a counterfeit $20 bill to buy cigarettes. Within minutes after the first police car arrived, George Floyd was pinned down by police officers, unconscious, and showed no signs of life.
After his murder, a series of protests against police brutality, especially towards Black people, quickly spread across the United States and globally. His dying words, “I can’t breathe,” became a rally slogan.
Prosecutors showed that a Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee on George Floyd’s neck for eight minutes and 46 seconds. The number 846 became a symbol of police brutality. Mourners stood in silence for eight minutes and 46 seconds at his memorials.
Five years later, the movement that began with his and other deaths may feel like it is stalled or forgotten. We are reminded that to be Christ-like is to pursue justice, loving our brothers and sisters and providing hope for the hopeless.
Interested in learning more about the Love One Another initiative? Visit the archives.