George Floyd: Five Years Later

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George Floyd Five Years Later

Five years after Police Officer Derek Chauvin killed George Floyd, grinding his knee into Floyd’s neck as he lay handcuffed on the ground, the impact of George Floyd remains.

The video of Floyd’s death was perhaps the most disturbing police brutality video ever. It was at once jarring but over time it was a series of moving images that couldn’t be turned away from. That any individual could be treated the way Floyd was by official actors of the government shocked not only many in the U.S. — it also created a visceral reaction around the world.

It’s noteworthy that finding the actual video of Chauvin killing Floyd has become increasingly difficult over the last five years — bordering on censorship. Social media platforms such as X that have no issue pushing out racism 24/7 have decided that the video of a police officer killing someone is off limits. Teenager Darnella Frazier filmed the murder of George Floyd with her camera phone. She was awarded a special citation by the Pulitzer Prize board in June 2021.

Contrary to what activists believed after Ferguson, Missouri teenager Michael Brown was shot multiple times by Darren Wilson in 2014, the introduction of video footage hasn’t slowed down police brutality. But the videos have brought a long discussed reality of policing and race in the U.S. into clearer view. After the April 2015 murder of Walter Scott, who was shot in the back by Charleston, South Carolina Police Officer Michael Slager, a long talked about problem came into even clearer view. The policy focus and money went into “more training” for police. Black Lives Matter activists began to ask more structural questions: Should communities stop spending billions on policing and incarceration and refocus budgets on education, mental health and community support initiatives. The activists soon learned that living in a country that leads the rate of incarceration in the world means incarceration is big business. What can’t be monetized is difficult to codify into policy.

Regardless, George Floyd’s death forced a Democratic presidential candidate to focus on deadly police force and accountability. When Joe Biden became President he tried to push the passage of the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act. The effort failed. The current effort on the right to erase George Floyd shows the power of his death. Right wing commentator Ben Shapiro, who isn’t a doctor, can’t stop pushing his theory that Floyd’s death was the result of a medical issue — not almost 10 straight minutes of being suffocated under the knee of a police officer. The current push by Shapiro for a pardon for Chauvin is further evidence of the impact of George Floyd.

Many in the media focused on the money after Floyd’s murder. In 2021, a civil court case against the city of Minneapolis resulted in a $27 million settlement with Floyd’s family. Floyd's brother, Philonise Floyd, launched a GoFundMe campaign raised over $14.5 million for the George Floyd Memorial Fund. The Fund launched a number of academic scholarships around the U.S. They would later be sued for discrimination by the Legal Insurrection Foundation which files lawsuits alleging “discrimination against white people.” Black Lives Matter received over $90 million in donations in 2020, with an average donation of about $33.

Obviously Donald Trump and his crew have noticed. Trump has made dismantling police accountability a priority. During his first thirty days in office in January, he pardoned police officers who were involved in police brutality cases — after pardoning over a thousand of his supporters, some of whom attacked members of the U.S. Capitol Police, as they violently broke into the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

George Floyd will continue to be connected to many legacies. His murder sparked a global reckoning with racism and police brutality — and a political backlash from Donald Trump. Floyd’s murder will likely remain a historic turning point that prompted a long delayed examination of policing and society.

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TODAY at 2PM: "Justice in Action: Reflections and the Road Ahead"

From the Democratic Black Caucus of Virginia: Please join us for this important "Justice in Action: Reflections and the Road Ahead" virtual panel discussion marking the fifth anniversary of the murder of George Floyd—a moment that deeply shook our nation and catalyzed a renewed movement for racial justice and criminal legal reform.

This FREE virtual panel presentation will be moderated by former Commonwealth Attorney Buta Biberaj and aims to reflect on the progress, challenges, and continuing impact that George Floyd’s murder has had on communities, public trust, and the criminal justice system in Virginia and across the country.

We have specifically sought the voices of Virginia's Commonwealth’s Attorneys to contribute to a candid and constructive conversation on what has changed within prosecutorial practices, what work remains, and how we can collectively advance equitable justice.

The four Commonwealth Attorneys featured are: Colette McEachin - Richmond; Anton Bell – Hampton; Parisa Tafti – Arlington; and Ramin Fatehi – Norfolk. The presentation is being hosted by the Coalition for Action, the Northern Virginia Democracy Center and the Democratic Black Caucus of Virginia on Sunday, May 25, 2025 from 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. The link to sign up to attend is:

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/WO5m2RoUSs6RoEMbikbQVw

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