Posted: May 25, 2021 4:00 AM ET | Last Updated: May 25
This story is part of a CBC News exploration of systemic racism, including anti-Black racism, and the promises for change made last summer.
As the call to address and end systemic racism roared across the world last summer, a towering figure watched from the walls. It was George Floyd.
His face — not the one seen on video pleading for his life for nearly five minutes as former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin murdered him, but instead that stoic, slightly smiling selfie — was everywhere. Artists interpreted that image and the words "Black Lives Matter" to create beacons where people rallied, reflected and reckoned.