The family of the late George Floyd, a black man who died last year in Minneapolis police custody, hosted a commemorative concert in Floyd’s hometown of Houston, Texas, Sunday evening.
The event, which was thrown by the George Floyd Foundation just five days after the one-year anniversary of Floyd’s death, featured performances by gospel artists MAJOR and Pastor Jamal Bryant. Floyd’s sister Bridgett started the foundation in his honor to combat racial inequities in minority communities.
“It is amazing how George Floyd’s name is known all around the world. His daughter said it would happen and it truly has happened,” Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis said during a livestreamed event at the Fountain of Praise Church on Sunday.
FLOYD FAMILY USING PORTION OF SETTLEMENT MONEY TO OFFER MINNEAPOLIS COMMUNITY GRANT
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The church is also the site where Floyd’s funeral was held on June 9 last year.
Ellis said he hoped Sunday’s concert “would become an annual event” and encouraged attendees and remote viewers to get involved in their local communities to “bring about more systemic changes to make life better.”
Democratic state Rep. Ron Reynolds spoke during the event from a remote location, saying, “I’m honored to be able to celebrate the life and legacy of George Perry Floyd Jr.”
“As we reflect on the one year anniversary of the tragic, brutal death of George Floyd, … I am reminded of how it was a watershed moment that brought our country together to address systemic racial injustice of African Americans within our criminal justice system,” Reynolds said.
Reynolds, who serves as the vice chairman of the Texas Legislative Black Caucus, commended legislation passed in the last year focused on criminal justice reform, such as a ban on police choke holds, which he said “mak[es] it illegal for police not to render aid when needed, as well as making it mandatory for police to intervene when another officer is using excessive force.”
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On May 25 of last year, former police officer Derek Chauvin, who is white, placed his knee on Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes. Soon after, Floyd, a black man, was declared dead. A jury found Chauvin guilty in April on charges of second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and manslaughter for his role in the death of Floyd.
Chauvin, who pleaded not guilty and has appealed the verdict, is currently awaiting sentencing.
