Family, friends, and mourners gathered at The Fountain of Praise in Houston Texas to wish George Floyd a final farewell on Tuesday, June 9th following by a six-hour public memorial held Monday, June 8th.
Floyd, 46 was killed during an encounter with Minneapolis police officers on May 25th when an officer pressed his knee into Floyd’s neck and back and held it there for eight minutes and 46 seconds.
Floyd was arrested for allegedly using counterfeit money to purchase cigarettes. The findings of an autopsy supported by his family revealed he died from asphyxiation due to neck and back compression.
Supporters from all over the world traveled to Houston to pay their respects. Trisha Boyle, who is from St. Louis Missouri said it was important for her to be at Floyd’s funeral because no one should lose their life to those who have sworn to protect and serve us.
“This is important for the world to be here today because a man was murdered,” she said. “ He was murdered unjustifiably, inhumanely. It’s important to be here today because we cannot have another situation like this happen. Not over a counterfeit dollar, not over a caliphate $20 bill, um, this man was murdered in his community, by individuals who we pay to protect and serve. We are not okay. Our community is not okay and we do not feel safe in this system that is currently set up I’m here today, because his life matter. Black and Brown Lives Matter is not enough to just say it. We need a system that also affirms that we need a system that’s willing to show that it cares for us. Not just say that it cares for us not just say that it cares for the labor and the economics and the education and the culture that people of color give to America”
Notable guests who were in attendance included: Jamie Foxx, Channing Tatum, Reverend Al Sharpton, who eulogized the service, and Ne-Yo who sung “It’s So Hard To Say Goodbye.”
Other attendees included Travyon Martin’s mother, Sybrina Fulton who is currently running for office in Florida and other family members of those who have been killed by police brutality or by white civilians.
During the service, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner announced that June 9, 2020, will now be George Floyd Day. Turner also revealed that he will sign an executive order that will ban chokeholds and strangleholds.
In a statement, Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo said that one thing about Houston is that the city always comes together, no matter the tragedy.
“We saw what happened during Hurricane Harvey, you didn’t see the 70% of police officers leave work and never come back,” he said. “ Despite 650 of our own homes being flooded. We stood with this community for six days, 24 hours, but on without going home. We stood together neighbor helping neighbor stranger helping a stranger.
“Once again, we’ve seen that even though George Floyd was taken really from the, from the Floyd family here in the city of Houston, that we’ve all come together once again Houston strong, showing that when we work together, and we work in a manner in a spirit that is constructive and not destructive that we can change the world and I really believe that there’s great hope here in this city. And we’re and that hope is spreading nationwide. This is the way forward and we’re going to see some meaningful change.”
All four officers involved in the killing have been charged. Thomas Lane, J. Alexander Kueng and Tou Thao, have been charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder and aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter. Derek Chauvin, who had his knee on Floyd’s back was previously charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter will also be charged with second-degree murder.
Chauvin is currently being held at the Minnesota Correctional Facility-Oak Park Heights in Stillwater, outside Minneapolis with a bail set at $1.25 million.
After the service, Floyd was taken to Houston Memorial Gardens cemetery in Pearland Texas where he will be buried next to his mother.
