May 25, 2021
Brandon Williams will never forget the phone calls. For years, starting around 11 p.m and sometimes lasting 90 minutes, Williams and his uncle, George Floyd, would catch up on all that night’s NBA action. From the frustrating hometown Rockets to mini miracles acted out by LeBron James or Russell Westbrook (two of Floyd’s favorite stars), they sifted through it all.
Growing up under the same roof in the Third Ward, Williams and his uncle who was more of a father figure bonded over all sports. But basketball was the game they both played in college. Rehashing the NBA’s evening slate eventually served as a way for them to preserve their connection, first when Williams went off to attend Utah State University Eastern, and, a few years later, after Floyd caught a bus up to Minneapolis to try to get his life back on track.
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May 25, 2021, marks the first anniversary of the unjust murder of George Floyd by former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin. In an unlawful case that would be globally deemed a blatant testament to racially targeted police brutality, Floyd had become a figurehead for millions, spurring nationwide protests against law enforcement and cries for federal reform.
While Floyd had since served as a tragic national symbol, his family experienced unfathomable heartbreak over his loss. In a somber reflection with
USA Today, his younger sibling Philonise Floyd recounted visiting Jack Yates High School in Houston s Third Ward and being innocently shown by high school students the viral video of his brother struggling under Chauvin, during which he cried, I can t breathe. . Tell my family I love them. Upon painfully rewatching the final moments of George s life, Philonise recalled immediately breaking down into tears. To everybody else, this was a case and
George Floyd s friends have turned their pain into action in the year since his murder kesq.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from kesq.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
1:21 pm UTC May. 25, 2021
HOUSTON – LaTonya Floyd keeps a folded newspaper with a front-page picture of her brother’s killer in the center console of her SUV.
Each day, she stares into the eyes of Derek Chauvin, trying to decipher why the Minneapolis police officer kneeled on George Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes while he was handcuffed and pleading for help until the life was snuffed out of him.
She has felt her share of anger toward Chauvin. But he has also helped keep her sane, LaTonya Floyd said.
“He gave me a reason to keep breathing,” she said. “I need to know why: What possessed you to kill my brother? Otherwise, I’d be in a mental hospital right now.”