Celebrities, musicians and political leaders gathered in front of George Floyd’s golden casket Thursday for a memorial service in Minneapolis at a sanctuary at North Central University.…
Celebrities, musicians and political leaders gathered in front of George Floyd’s golden casket Thursday for a memorial service in Minneapolis at a sanctuary at North Central University.
Floyd, a 46-year-old out-of-work bouncer, died May 25 after a police officer put his knee on Floyd’s neck for several minutes as Floyd lay handcuffed on the pavement, saying that he couldn’t breathe. The officer, Derek Chauvin, has been charged with murder.
Those gathered at the Minneapolis tribute stood in silence for 8 minutes, 46 seconds—the amount of time Floyd was alleged to be on the ground under the control of police.
In addition to hundreds who gathered inside the North Central University chapel, a crowd of hundreds more clustered outside under trees and in window sills, listening to the service broadcast over loudspeakers.
The service drew the Rev. Jesse Jackson, Sen. Amy Klobuchar and other members of Congress, including Reps. Ilhan Omar, Sheila Jackson Lee and Ayanna Pressley. Among the celebrities in attendance were T. I., Ludacris, Tyrese Gibson, Kevin Hart, Tiffany Haddish and Marsai Martin.
