The One Year Anniversary

On May 25, 2021, the world was reminded of the murder of George Floyd from last year. The infamous act of police brutality took the nation by storm last spring when we were just starting to be affected by the COVID virus. The video of former officer Derek Chauvin putting his knee on Floyd’s neck for eight minutes and forty-six seconds went viral across social media, which sparked desire into the hearts of activists and protesters that a change in our society is needed. 

Floyd’s murder left many African Americans heartbroken as it resembled countless years of struggle and mistreatment from the police force. To make matters worse, Floyd’s seven year old daughter, Gianna Floyd, was left to live her life without her father to guide her through her path of excellence. The tragedy left communities in a state of dysfunction as there was a mixture of fate from the virus and anger from the actions against African Americans. This confusion lasted for a good amount of time as it seemed that America was not living up to its potential as “the land of opportunity.”

Over the course of time, though, we as a nation have made strides in finding a sense of happiness for both the communities and African American race. Many people through social media and protests were able to support movements promoting peace. One of the most important events that had happened in our country was Derek Chauvin receiving his sentence for murdering Floyd. On April 20, 2021, Derek Chauvin got the verdict that he was guilty on all three charges of second-degree murder, thrid-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter. The judge added that these charges would add up to around 40 years in prison that would start on June 25.

This is one of the most important events to happen because for so many years, hatred against the police, due to racist charges, has been amplified. Groups now often mention “defunding the police,” a term that was created around the summer of 2020. It also reminded the country of the past murders of Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown and others.

But, the verdict gave a sense of hope that maybe things are starting to change. Maybe the government is finally starting to recognize the actual antagonists of the world. This was all possible due to people recognizing the George Floyd case as a major event in American history. Floyd’s daughter was right, her dad did change the world.