For Raleigh resident Roger Floyd, it’s a day that lives in infamy: May 25th, 2020, the day his nephew, George Floyd, died.
George Floyd’s death, captured on video, kicked off a summer of protest, led to deafening calls for police reform, and left a lasting legacy in places like Raleigh’s freedom park – where Floyd’s last words now stand pressed in stone.
“This memorializes George, if you will,” said Roger Floyd on a visit to the park Saturday afternoon, the five year anniversary of George Floyd’s death. “It’s etched here. And as long as this property survives, this is a remembrance of him.”
Roger Floyd said he visits this memorial from time to time, reflecting on the nephew he knew almost from birth.
“George was born in Fayetteville. And I held that booger in my hands man. That was something else,” Floyd said.
And then – 46 years later – another moment, one that changed the world from a Minneapolis Street Corner.
In the days and weeks after, Floyd felt he needed to do something. Alongside another family member, he founded the organization that would come to be known as the Floyd Family Center – a nonprofit dedicated to keeping George Floyd’s memory alive by shining “light on inequities experienced by underserved and underfunded communities.”
The Center sponsors a scholarship for students at Alamance Community College, is working on a documentary about the effects of George Floyd’s death, and is fundraising for a range of other projects.
“This is a grassroots effort, but it’s one that we’re going to maintain, one that we’re going to move forward on,” Floyd said.
Floyd said over the last five years, he’s also been busy in other ways, including pressing Raleigh police to make reforms.
“We want transparency. You know, when there’s an investigation, we want expediency,” Floyd said.
There’s also been the blowback. Over the last year, the Trump administration has taken aim at DEI initiatives, which the President calls “illegal” and “immoral.” Just days ago, the Department of Justice also ended its oversight of the Minneapolis police department.
“Well, I was disappointed, obviously,” Floyd said.
Floyd now said he’s focused on the future – keeping his nephew’s legacy alive, in Raleigh and beyond.
“Keeping our eyes on the prize, we can make a difference together, because we are truly better together,” he said.
