George Floyd’s family to commemorate the anniversary of his death

RALEIGH, NC (WDBJ) – Derek Chauvin’s lawyer has requested a new trial, but George Floyd’s uncle is not concerned, saying he believes a second round in court would also result in a conviction .
Chauvin’s lawyer filed a motion alleging jury misconduct, witness intimidation and the impact of the advertising.
âIt’s obviously within his constitutional and legal right to do this,â Roger Floyd, who lives in Raleigh, North Carolina, told WDBJ7. âIt doesn’t really concern me because the prosecution did a great job. There was a clear conviction for all three counts. “
Instead, says Floyd, the end of the trial is just the beginning of the change the family is hoping to see. He looks forward to the anniversary of his nephew’s death on May 25, hoping to engage audiences as that dark date draws near.
Floyd was one of the first people to hold his nephew on the day he was born. His reaction was heartbreaking as he watched George Floyd take his last breath.
âIt’s a modern lynching,â Floyd said. “The end result is that a life has been lost.”
Watching the trial aroused stronger emotions.
âYou have to relive it all again and internalize it,â Floyd said. “It’s the family. What was going on in her mind as her life was taken?
Derek Chauvin’s murder conviction made it easier for him to breathe.
âJust a moment to breathe out, then immediately get back to work arguing for change. And I mean real change, âhe said.
Part of the reform he advocates is spelled out in the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, a bill before Congress that reviews policing practices and accountability.
âRestructuring from a training standpoint,â said Floyd. âMore substations in the communities they protect and serve. No more streetwalking, meeting the people you’ve served. Knowing who these people are, so there is more de-escalation when a situation arises. “
He hopes the country’s police chiefs will support these efforts.
However, the Floyd family are also taking their own measures. The change is happening at a former insurance office in Raleigh. There it was a 9 to 5 job for Floyd, but since he retired it’s only 5 to 25.
“Day of the Lights,” Floyd calls the anniversary of his parent’s death. “Due to the awakening of individuals around the world, they saw exactly what happened to George.”
To commemorate this date, the family sells hats, T-shirts, bracelets and other clothing bearing the 5-25-20 mark. Sales benefit the new George Floyd Memorial Center.
Its goal is to promote the socio-economic growth of marginalized communities, starting with North Carolina, the state where George Floyd was born. The center aims to provide free jobs, vocational training and scholarships.
âThere is movement now. Work towards the eradication of systemic racism, social injustice, denial of the right to vote, âsaid Floyd.
It’s a mission, he says, rooted in his family’s characteristic way of loving deeply.
âOur mother always told us, Jesus, that you take the Lord with you wherever you go, and you will be protected. With George and the loss of a family member, it always hurts. But we get there with our faith, âhe said.
For him, giving back through the center is now a much bigger goal than that of the Floyd family.
âWe are not going to dwell on the gloom and the gloom. We’re not going to be the victim, âFloyd said. “It’s about what we can do to help our community, our state, our country, on behalf of George Floyd.”
He hopes the public will wear the âDOEâ clothing on the anniversary of Floyd’s death, and that May 25 will remain synonymous with George Floyd’s name for years to come.
On Saturday, the family will hold their first âDay of Lightsâ gathering to commemorate the anniversary. It will be 11 am to 1 pm at the John P. “Top” Green Community Center in downtown Raleigh.
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