Activists are reflecting on the past as they navigate a difficult time, wishing that the protests following Floyd’s death would have led to lasting changes in policing in the United States.
In Minneapolis, various activities such as religious ceremonies, music performances, and gatherings will commemorate the fifth anniversary of George Floyd’s tragic killing by a Minneapolis police officer on Sunday. This occasion coincides with challenges faced by advocates of police reform and civil rights who believe they are encountering resistance from the Trump administration.
Activities in Minneapolis will focus on George Floyd Square, the location where Derek Chauvin, a police officer, pressed his knee against George Floyd’s neck for over nine minutes, while the 46-year-old Black man pleaded, “I can’t breathe.”
The events started Friday with concerts, a street festival and a “self-care fair,” and culminate with a worship service, gospel music concert and candlelight vigil on Sunday.
In Houston, where Floyd grew up, family members planned to gather Sunday at his gravesite for a memorial service led by the Rev. Al Sharpton. In a park about 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) away, a memorial service will take place, followed by five hours of music, preaching and poetry readings and a balloon release.
The remembrances come at a fraught moment for activists, who had hoped the worldwide protests that followed Floyd’s murder on May 25, 2020, would lead to permanent police reform across the U.S. and a continued focus on racial justice issues.
Even with Minneapolis officials’ promises to remake the police department, some activists contend the progress has come at a glacial pace.
“We understand that change takes time,” Michelle Gross, president of Communities United Against Police Brutality, said in a statement last week. “However, the progress being claimed by the city is not being felt in the streets.”
President Donald Trump’s administration moved Wednesday to cancel settlements with Minneapolis and Louisville that called for an overhaul of their police departments following the Floyd’s murder and the killing of Breonna Taylor. Under Democratic President Joe Biden, the U.S. Justice Department had aggressively pushed for aggressive oversight of local police it had accused of widespread abuses.
Trump also declared an end to diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives within the federal government and his administration is using federal funds as leverage to force local governments, universities and public school districts to do the same. Republican-led states also have accelerated their efforts to stamp out DEI initiatives.
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