George Floyd, One Year Later: His Life Mattered
Darnella Friazier’s World Changed In 9 Minutes, 29 Seconds
Editor’s note: On May 25, 2020, Darnella Frazier was 17 years old and had the presence of mind to pull out her cellphone and start recording as George Floyd was pinned to the ground under the knee of a cop. Her action helped launch a global movement protesting racial injustice. A little more than a year later, on June 11, Frazier was awarded a special citation by the Pulitzer Prizes — the highest honor in journalism — to highlight “the crucial role of citizens in journalists’ quest for truth and justice.” The following are excerpts from an essay that Frazier posted on her Facebook page on the one-year anniversary of Floyd’s death.
By Darnella Frazier
May 25, 2021
A year ago, today I witnessed a murder. The victim’s name was George Floyd. Although this wasn’t the first time, I’ve seen a Black man get killed at the hands of the police, this is the first time I witnessed it happen in front of me. Right in front of my eyes, a few feet away. I didn’t know this man from a can of paint, but I knew his life mattered. I knew that he was in pain. I knew that he was another Black man in danger with no power. I was only 17 at the time, just a normal day for me walking my 9-year-old cousin to the corner store, not even prepared for what I was about to see, not even knowing my life was going to change on this exact day in those exact moments… it did.
It changed me. It changed how I viewed life. It made me realize how dangerous it is to be Black in America. We shouldn’t have to walk on eggshells around police officers, the same people that are supposed to protect and serve. We are looked at as thugs, animals, and criminals, all because of the color of our skin. Why are Black people the only ones viewed this way when every race has some type of wrongdoing? None of us are to judge. We are all human.
I am 18 now and I still hold the weight and trauma of what I witnessed a year ago. It’s a little easier now, but I’m not who I used to be. … I used to shake so bad at night my mom had to rock me to sleep. Hopping from hotel to hotel because we didn’t have a home and looking over our back every day in the process. Having panic and anxiety attacks every time I seen a police car, not knowing who to trust because a lot of people are evil with bad intentions. I hold that weight. A lot of people call me a hero even though I don’t see myself as one. I was just in the right place at the right time.
My video didn’t save George Floyd, but it put his murderer away and off the streets. You can view George Floyd anyway you choose to view him, despite his past, because don’t we all have one? He was a loved one, someone’s son, someone’s father, someone’s brother, and someone’s friend…
George Floyd, I can’t express enough how I wish things could have went different, but I want you to know you will always be in my heart. I’ll always remember this day because of you. May your soul rest in peace. May you rest in the most beautiful roses.
See also “A Cry For Change” by Penfield W. Tate III.