George Floyd

After returning to Houston, Floyd's life took difficult turns. He struggled with addiction and served nearly five years in prison. But those who knew him say his faith and his love for his children kept him going. He was a devoted father to five children — daughters Connie Mason and Gianna Floyd, and sons including Quincy Mason Floyd ^[4]. After reconnecting with his Christian faith, Floyd moved to Minneapolis in 2014 at the suggestion of a close friend, seeking a fresh start. He completed a 90-day treatment program in North Minneapolis in 2017 and found work as a bouncer and a truck driver ^[5]. He also worked occasional security shifts at the El Nuevo Rodeo nightclub.

On May 25, 2020, Floyd was killed when Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck for over nine minutes during an arrest over an alleged counterfeit $20 bill. He was 46 years old. Bystander Darnella Frazier's cellphone video of his final moments sparked the largest civil rights protests in American history, with demonstrations in all 50 states and over 60 countries worldwide ^[6]. Floyd was buried in Pearland, Texas, near Houston, beside his mother. His death became a defining moment in America's reckoning with racial injustice and police brutality ^[7].