The Rev. Al Sharpton denounced racism and called for accountability in the criminal justice system as he delivered an eulogy Thursday for George Floyd.
MinneapolisThe Rev. Al Sharpton denounced racism and called for accountability in the criminal justice system as he delivered an eulogy Thursday for George Floyd.
„The reason we could never be who we wanted to be and dreamed of being is you kept your knee on our neck,“ said Sharpton, the founder of the National Action Network.
Sharpton spoke near a casket carrying Floyd’s body at the North Central University in Minneapolis. The event was the first in a series of memorial services honoring Floyd.
Floyd’s family was joined by dozens of guests, including civil rights leader Rev. Jesse Jackson, Democratic Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar, Martin Luther King III and actor Kevin Hart.
It was a time for Floyd’s family to mourn a man who in his 46 years of life „touched many hearts“ and whose death sparked momentum toward change within days.
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„What happened to Floyd happens every day in this country, in education, in health services, and in every area of American life,“ Sharpton said. „It is time for us to stand up in George’s name and say get your knee of our necks.“
Following his eulogy, Sharpton directed attendees to join him in silence for 8 minutes and 46 seconds — the same amount of time than an officer held his knee on Floyd’s neck while he was in custody.
„That’s a long time, Sharpton said. „That’s how long he was laying there.“
‚We don’t want two justice systems in America,‘ family attorney says
Benjamin Crump, an attorney representing the Floyd family, called for equality, especially in the way black people are treated in the criminal justice system.
„We don’t want two justice systems in America. One for black and one for white,“ Crump said.
„What we endeavor to achieve is equal gestures for the United States of America and George Floyd is the moment to give us the best opportunity I’ve seen in a long time of reaching that high idea that this country was founded on,“ he added.
Photos:Remembering George Floyd
Relatives of George Floyd attend his memorial service in Minneapolis on Thursday, June 4.
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Photos:Remembering George Floyd
The hearse carrying Floyd’s casket departs after the memorial service in Minneapolis. Next, a public viewing and private service will be held on Saturday in North Carolina.
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Photos:Remembering George Floyd
People at the memorial stood in silence for eight minutes and 46 seconds -— the length of time that Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer charged with killing Floyd, had his knee on Floyd’s neck. At center here is Floyd’s cousin Shareeduh Tate, who grew up with him and spoke during the service.
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Photos:Remembering George Floyd
The service took place inside a sanctuary at North Central University.
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Photos:Remembering George Floyd
The Rev. Al Sharpton delivers a eulogy. „George Floyd should not be among the deceased,“ Sharpton said. „He did not die of common health conditions. He died of a common American criminal-justice malfunction.“
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Photos:Remembering George Floyd
Philonise Floyd speaks at the memorial service for his brother George. He said George had „touched many hearts“ and that the audience in Minneapolis was a testament of that. „Everybody wants justice, we want justice for George,“ Philonise said. „He’s going to get it.
