Victim of police murder
Profile
George Perry Floyd Jr. was born on October 14, 1973, in Fayetteville, North Carolina. When he was three years old, his mother moved the family to Houston, Texas, where they settled in the Third Ward — a historically Black neighborhood on the city's south side [1]. Known to friends and family as "Perry" or "Big Floyd," he grew up in the Cuney Homes housing project alongside two older sisters and two younger brothers [2].
Floyd attended Jack Yates High School in the Third Ward, where he became a standout two-sport athlete in football and basketball. At 6-foot-6, he played tight end on the football team and was a powerful post player on the basketball court, averaging 14 points and 8 rebounds in his sophomore season at South Florida Community College, where he played on a basketball scholarship
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].
Sources
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