A man raised his fist at an event commemorating the anniversary of George Floyd’s death at the Salvation Army Harbor Lights Center on May 25, 2021 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. His shirt says “Rest in Love” over a photo of Floyd.
Image: Stephen Maturen / Getty Images
Tuesday marked the one-year anniversary of George Floyd’s murder by a police officer, and with it came an outpouring of commemorative events in U.S. cities, abroad, and on social media.
People gathered in Minneapolis, Los Angeles, Atlanta, London, Edinburgh, and elsewhere to celebrate Floyd’s life and to remind the world that while awareness of police violence and racism in America has increased, progress is still too little and too slow. Floyd’s name has become synonymous with the movement against police brutality and a motivating factor in ongoing protests for racial justice. In a somberly rare moment of accountability, his murderer, officer Derek Chauvin, was found guilty just weeks ago.
Some took the day to acknowledge the complex feelings they hold for figures like Floyd in social justice movements — victims of systemic violence who become symbols of a movement without choice. In a tweet with more than 80,000 likes, author Derecka Purnell wrote, “Many people will turn George Floyd into a martyr today. We must fight to remember that he did not give his life for justice, for our movement, for an uprising. He wanted to live. He fought to live.” Her missive summarizes thoughts that’ve been cycling through the internet and on the streets during protests over the past year: Floyd didn’t give his life, he was murdered, and there’s still more work to do.
While Floyd’s family attended a private meeting with President Joe Biden, community members gathered for a Celebration of Life in Minneapolis hosted by the George Floyd Memorial Foundation. The Celebration of Life followed a weekend of remembrance and included local leaders, artists, and vendors, with attendees traveling to Minneapolis from all around the country. Attendees weren’t completely removed of police presence, however, after gunshots were heard nearby (one man, unaffiliated with the memorial events, was injured and taken to the hospital).
Elsewhere, memorial events both honored and mourned Floyd’s life. The N.A.A.C.P hosted a virtual moment of silence at 9:29 a.m. ET to acknowledge the 9 minutes and 29 seconds Chauvin kneeled on Floyd’s neck as he died. Floyd’s 7-year-old daughter, Gianna Floyd, attended the “My Daddy Changed the World” rally in Atlanta, Georgia, hosted by the Georgia N.A.A.C.P. And Black Lives Matter chapters around the country, like those in Los Angeles, hosted their own vigils and marches. Memorials were even on the international stage, with activists congregating in major cities like London, Glasgow, and Edinburgh, and U.S. Embassies in Athens and Madrid hoisting Black Lives Matter banners.
Floyd family attorney and civil rights advocate Ben Crump also announced the launch of the George Floyd Community Benevolence Fund. The nonprofit will provide $5,000 to $25,000 grants to businesses and community organizations supporting the Black community in the Minneapolis neighborhood where Floyd was murdered. The fund is supported by a $500,000 donation from the Floyd family and will accept applicants in the fall.
Below are photos of people commemorating Floyd’s life and continuing to call for change.
Jay Webb, a caretaker for the garden around George Floyd Memorial Square, joins Damik Wright, the brother of Daunte Wright, who was murdered by Minnesota police in April 2021.
Image: kent nishimura/ Getty Images
Black Lives Matter activists protested outside of Los Angeles City Hall.
Image: Apu Gomes/ Getty Images
A group gathers in Glasgow, Scotland, to honor the anniversary of Floyd’s death.
Image: Jeff J Mitchell/ Getty Images
George Floyd’s daughter, Gianna Floyd, and her mother, Roxie Washington, meet with Democratic leaders at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC.
Image: Graeme Jennings-Pool/ Getty Images
Two memorial attendees comfort each other at the intersection of 38th Street and Chicago Avenue in Minneapolis after a police responded to gunshots heard nearby.
Image: Brandon Bell/ Getty Images
Vigil attendees gathered around George Floyd Memorial Square, leaving messages, flowers, and stuffed animals.
Image: Kent Nishimura / Getty ImagES
Tommy McBrayer, a community organizer, calls to people at George Floyd Memorial Square in Minneapolis, Minnesota on May 25, 2021 as the crowd memorializes George Floyd.
Image: Kerem Yucel / AFP via Getty Images
People release balloons in honor of George Floyd at the Salvation Army Harbor Lights Center on May 25, 2021 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Image: Stephen Maturen / Getty Images)
Protesters march in Oxford, England to mark the first anniversary of the death of George Floyd on May 25, 2021. The protesters marched to Oxford University’s Oriel College, which announced last week that it would not be removing a statue of 19th-century imperialist and businessman Cecil Rhodes perched atop its entrance. Activists in the UK and South Africa have called for the removal of statues in his honor, arguing that Rhodes is the embodiment of white supremacy.
Image: Laurel Chor / Getty Images