RALEIGH, N.C. — In the middle of COVID-19 lockdowns when the focus was on staying alive and staying healthy, the horror of a crime shocked the world.
A camera caught Derek Chauvin, at the time a 44-year-old white Minneapolis police officer, kneeling on the neck of a 46-year old Black man, George Floyd, for nearly nine minutes.
The video sent people of all ethnicities and ages into the streets looking for justice, racial equity and police reform.
Floyd was born in Fayetteville, North Carolina. Three years later and 1,200 miles southeast of the Twin Cities, Floyd’s North Carolina family carries his name forward with a new passion: The Floyd Family Center for Social Equity.
They say they are laser-focused on turning the pain of his gruesome killing into something that can help the world.
The center says turning hurt into hope will be at the heart and soul of the Floyd Family Center.
Right now some of Floyd's family are in Minnesota remembering his life and spreading the news of their new mission.
“I think he would like that his name and likeness are being used for good,” Thomas McLaurin said on Thursday from Minneapolis. He is Floyd’s first cousin. “We call today, 5-25, a day of enlightenment. I think he would be proud to know that a lot of good is coming out of his name.”“I think he would like that his name and likeness are being used for good,” Thomas McLaurin said on Thursday from Minneapolis. He is Floyd’s first cousin. “We call today, 5-25, a day of enlightenment. I think he would be proud to know that a lot of good is coming out of his name.”
Three years ago, McLaurin saw the recording of his cousin crying out, “I can’t breathe,” as he slowly died on the pavement of a downtown Minneapolis street.
His death on May 25, 2020, became a rallying cry for changes in policing and social justice reform.
It is a day his family in the Tar Heel State will never forget.
“It feels to me from time to time as I reminisce and think about it, it’s just been just a few months ago, because I think about him often. Because we are doing the work that needs to be done to keep his legacy alive,” said Roger Floyd, an uncle of George Floyd.
Roger Floyd, North Carolina native, said he is keeping his departed nephew’s memory alive through the FFCSE.
“How do we bring about this transformation that we seek (for the) human race?” Floyd asked.
Answering his own question as the center’s chief impact officer can’t be done without the help of another nephew, McLaurin.
“Three years has gone by fast, and I feel like we are starting to make some progress. When I say, 'we,' I am talking about our society,” McLaurin said.
Recently, the two family members toured the Simon Green Atkins Community Development Operation in Winston-Salem. They scouted the S.G. Atkins CDC community garden to bring some ideas for the community garden they will start at the FFCSE one day.
“We’ve got a long ways to go still, but we see some movement, and I’m thankful to be a part of that,” McLaurin said.
McLaurin and Roger Floyd said the family referred to George Perry Floyd Jr. as “Perry Jr.,” because his father was George Perry Floyd Sr.
Through the creation of their nonprofit organization, they are honoring “Perry Jr.”
“The positivity is making a difference. How do we impact the lives of others?” Floyd said.
McLaurin will be the center’s executive director. He said one of their goals will be to engage youth in self-sufficiency and sowing seeds in surrounding neighborhoods to grow relationships as real as the plants in their future plant beds.
“I want them to feel that they are loved. That they are cared for. That there is somebody out there who wants to help them. That they’re not alone,” McLaurin said.
Part of the mission is to bridge mental health resources, establish financial literacy opportunities and create more services to the communities they plan to serve. Both men believe “Perry Jr.” is smiling down from heaven, while they know there is more work to be done.
“He would say that he would be proud of us, but of course, we always say George would rather be here with us than where he is. We always share that we didn’t ask for this, but we are passionate about what we are doing to keep his legacy alive and well,” Roger Floyd said.
The family described the purpose of the FFCSE as built on five pillars: the arts, education, health, scholarships for students and financial literacy.
The nonprofit organization will rely on funding from sponsorships, partnerships, donations and grants to provide the resources necessary for their goals.