On the fifth anniversary of George Floyd’s death, thousands gathered across the country, not just to remember, but to resist. In Houston, Minneapolis, and beyond, civil rights advocates, reformers, and everyday citizens united to mark the moment that reignited a global reckoning on race and police brutality.
At Houston Memorial Gardens, the Rev. Al Sharpton delivered a powerful tribute alongside Floyd’s family. Speaking at the gravesite, he reflected on what Floyd’s death came to symbolize. “He represented all of those who are defenseless against people who thought they could put their knee on our neck,” Sharpton said. He drew a stark historical parallel, likening Floyd to Emmett Till, the 14-year-old whose lynching in 1955 galvanized the civil rights movement. “What Emmett Till was in his time, George Floyd has been for this time in history,” he said.
In Minneapolis, the city where Floyd took his final breath beneath the knee of former officer Derek Chauvin, remembrance was rooted in the very intersection where it happened. George Floyd Square buzzed with solemn reflection and defiant activism. Flowers and tributes filled the space outside Cup Foods. Across the street, activists offered free meals at a repurposed gas station, while a provocative symbol, a faux pig’s head wearing a police hat stood in the road.
RELATED STORIES
READ ALSO: Atlanta pastor to lead protest against Target on George Floyd anniversary over DEI
The commemorations began Friday, unfolding over the weekend with concerts, street festivals, and a self-care fair. They culminated Sunday with a gospel concert, worship service, and candlelit vigil, acts of both grief and resilience.
Watch a recent episode of The BreakDown podcast below and subscribe to our channel PanaGenius TV for latest episodes.
But remembrance was laced with fresh frustration. In the days leading up to the anniversary, the Trump administration reversed settlements meant to overhaul the police departments in Minneapolis and Louisville, agreements forged after the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. It marked a sharp departure from the Biden-era Justice Department’s push for police oversight and came as part of a broader rollback of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.
In Houston, Sharpton didn’t mince words about the timing or the message. He called the administration’s actions “tantamount to the Department of Justice and the president spitting on the grave of George Floyd.”
“To wait to the anniversary and announce this, knowing this family was going to be brought back to the brokenheartedness of what happened shows the disregard and insensitivity of this administration,” he said. “But the reason that we will not be deterred is that Trump was president when George Floyd happened and he didn’t do anything then. We made things happen. And we’re going to make them happen again.”
READ ALSO: Offset criticizes Elon Musk for backing pardon of George Floyd’s killer
In Minneapolis, activists voiced growing disappointment with the slow pace of change. Michelle Gross, president of Communities United Against Police Brutality, acknowledged the city’s promises to transform law enforcement, but criticized the lack of tangible results. “We understand that change takes time,” she said, “However, the progress being claimed by the city is not being felt in the streets.”
The frustration was echoed by many who showed up to pay their respects. Detrius Smith, who traveled from Dallas with her daughters and grandchildren, according to AP’s report, shared Floyd’s story with her granddaughter at the site of his death. “It just really feels good, just really to see everybody out here celebrating the life, and the memories of George Floyd and just really remembering what happened,” she said. “We want to do everything we can to work together so everybody can have the same equal rights and everybody can move forward and not have something like that to continue to happen in this nation.”
READ ALSO: Minneapolis to revamp police training and policies following George Floyd’s murder
