George Floyd’s sister says she’s leaning on God as anniversary of killing approaches
Just days away from the one-year anniversary of her brother’s death which triggered a summer of protests for racial justice, George Floyd’s sister, Bridgett Floyd, who started a foundation in his name, says her faith in God helped her survive his passing.
"I always put God first in everything I do," she said during a press conference Thursday. "Without him I am nothing. God always gives me the strength to carry. He put me in this position. And oftentimes I want to ask, 'Why me?' But they say you're never supposed to question God. So maybe He saw a weakness in me and He made it my strength. That's how I see it."
George Floyd, a 46-year-old African American man, died in police custody in Minneapolis on May 25, 2020, while former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin kneeled on his neck as he begged to breathe. Chauvin was found guilty of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter for his role in the death last month.
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The George Floyd Memorial Foundation has planned a number of events in Minneapolis from May 23–25 to mark his passing. They include a rally on May 23, a virtual day of action on May 24, and a Celebration of Life in downtown Minneapolis on May 25.
"It's getting real close to the day," Floyd said during the press conference. "And I feel like, as close as the days come, I get a little stronger than I was last year. And that's because I have been through so much in this last year. I have no choice but to be strong and carry this weight, and carry this position that God has put me in. Because I didn't see it coming, none of us did."
While President Joe Biden called on Congress late last month to pass a police reform bill by the end of May called the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act to mark the anniversary of his death, Rep. Karen Bass, D-Calif., the lead author of the bill, said Wednesday that it would not be ready for a vote by May 25.
“We won't make May 25, but I don't believe it's going to take months,” Bass told reporters at the Capitol, according to The Hill. “What's most important is that we get it right and that it be substantive, even if it's a couple of weeks later. … I won't say we're apart on all of these issues, we just haven't finished.”
The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act aims to overhaul policing and "eliminate 'qualified immunity' for all local, state and federal law enforcement officers. Under qualified immunity, government escape any legal liability for civil rights violations unless the victim can show that their rights were clearly established at the time," Forbes reported.
Floyd said she has faith the bill will become law.
"These police officers need to be held accountable for their actions," Floyd said. "So they can know that when they break the law, when they take a loved one from someone, they'll think twice about it."
