George Floyd

Outcome

unknown

In May 2020, George Floyd, a 46 year old Black man, was killed by police in Minneapolis after being arrested on suspicion of using a counterfeit twenty dollar bill. During the arrest, a police officer knelt on Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes while Floyd was restrained on the ground and repeatedly said he could not breathe. Video of the killing spread globally and sparked one of the largest protest movements in United States history, with millions of people demanding accountability, police reform, and an end to racialized state violence. In 2021, former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was convicted of murder and manslaughter, a rare outcome in cases involving police use of lethal force. George Floyd’s death became a defining moment in contemporary protest history, reshaping global conversations about policing, systemic racism, and the value of Black life, and inspiring sustained activism across music, art, and cultural expression.