In their own words: Minnesotans on how George Floyd's life and death impacted them
Minnesotans describe how George Floyd's life and death impacted them.
By Reid Forgrave, Zoë Jackson
May 24, 2021 — 9:27pm
These quotes have been edited for length.
Josie Johnson 90, Minneapolis, longtime civil rights activist
“I have silently said to George Floyd, ‘George, I am sorry that you had to experience the method of your death. But what you have done, my son, is you’ve shown the world how our Black men are treated ... You sacrificed your life to show the world.’ We’ve always known as a people the treatment the police department has modeled in their belief about us, but it’s always been a secret.”