The name George Floyd has become a regular on the news media, social media since May 25. The tragic death has ‘sparked the fuse’ of the nation and it is echoing across the world. George was born in 1973 in Fayetteville, N.C., but raised in Houston. He died in Minneapolis, but came to Houston to rest. It is a truly a heartbreaking homecoming for George who dreamed “I’m gonna change the world.” Now, in his death he is ushering the revolution that he dreamed of. His tragic death has become catalyst for the way policing have been practiced in this country. His last words, “I can’t breathe” have become the rallying words of protesters seeking reformation. Thanks to the video capability of the phones, the recording of his being fatally pinned beneath the knee for 8:46 minutes has been viewed across the millions of screens around the world. The interesting aspect of the protests is that, all different communities crossing race divide have rallied together to demand changes.
Warren Moon who played football in Houston for the Houston Oilers has put it succinctly, the handicap of being black in these words; “My biggest fear as a parent is one of my kids dying before I do.” He said. “It’s bad enough to lose a child, but then to watch your child plead for his life and call out for you, that can traumatize you for rest of your life.”
It was an emotional day yesterday June 8 in Houston, as 6,300 people thronged to the Fountain of Praise church to pay their respect to George Floyd ahead of his funeral on Tuesday. The Houston weather in June is hot, sweltering and the patient long lines of waiting to pay their respects to George Floyd showed how important it was for them to express themselves. Ex-Vice President and Democratic Party nominee for the President Mr. Biden was in Houston too, to meet with the family and offer his personal condolences. He told CBS anchor Norah O'Donnell, "They're an incredible family, his little daughter was there, the one who said 'daddy's going to change the world', and I think her daddy is going to change the world."
On Tuesday, after the procession winded through Houston, he came to rest in Houston Memorial Gardens in Pearland, in the same cemetery next to his mother, whom he was calling while being pinned down. The funeral was a four hour emotional service, where the grief was felt and shared by all. The most diverse city in the nation Houston was paying homage to the native son. Many looked somber with tears dropping down their cheeks, which they wiped with tissues but still were determined to carry on the fighting for him. Many visitors came from across the country just to be there. Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo announced Monday on Twitter that Harris County will honor George Floyd's memory by declaring Tuesday as "George Floyd Day." Even Mayor of Houston declared June 9th George Floyd day during the service. "We honor him today because when he took his last breath, the rest of us will now be able to breathe," Turner said this during the funeral service. The private ceremony was livestreamed to the public and was also available through the local TV stations.
The tragic death of George Floyd is not the first, but only the latest in the long list of unarmed blacks killed by police which has sparked a new awareness and concern on how policing is practiced. It has already started a debate on reforms plus calls to defund the police. Hoping there is a positive change that comes out of this tragedy. The banning of chokeholds is just the beginning, but the reforms are needed in all aspects of policing from screening, selection, training, monitoring and punishment for excessive use of force. A more comprehensive training of police on how to de-escalate delicate situations so that unnecessary deaths are avoided needs to included. Unnecessary fanning rhetoric on social media should be discouraged, as it does not help in any way or any cause. June 9th has become a significant day on the calanders.
