Latest news with #JusticeforGeorge
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Yahoo
Minneapolis group works to preserve 2020 protest art after George Floyd's death
Five years ago, during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, video of then-Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin kneeling on the neck of George Floyd until he died shocked the world and sparked widespread protests. Untold pieces of protest art also were created in public spaces across the U.S. – from murals honoring Floyd, to calls for justice and support for the Black Lives Matter movement, which swelled in the wake of Floyd's death. Today, much of that protest art has been taken down. The Black Lives Matter mural painted on 16th Street in Washington, D.C., was removed in March, while other murals, many painted on plywood that boarded up closed businesses during the pandemic shutdown, were removed over the months after Floyd's death. Advocates in Minneapolis, however, have been working over the past five years to save hundreds of pieces of public protest art, hoping to ensure that Floyd is never forgotten and that the message behind the art is memorialized, along with the movement it documented. 'Art can be used as a tool in the present to ignite and propel social movements forward, which is what we're seeing right now with this art,' said Leesa Kelly, the founder of Memorialize the Movement. The group describes itself as "a living archive dedicated to collecting, preserving, and activating the plywood protest murals that were created during the Minneapolis Uprising of 2020 and beyond." According to Kelly, who began her efforts in the summer of 2020, the group has now collected and preserved over 1,000 pieces of 2020 protest art. 'I felt this enormous weight to be the one to decide to protect these stories and to make sure that the movement continues through the preservation of this art,' Kelly told ABC News, reflecting on her five-year journey. 'I feel an enormous sense of pride having the foresight to do this.' 6 months after George Floyd's death, Minneapolis activists scramble to save Black Lives Matter art Kelly said that since 2021, Memorialize the Movement has been 'activating' the 2020 murals via exhibits to ensure that Floyd's legacy is not forgotten. Much of that art was displayed at a weekend Justice for George event in Minneapolis. 'We call ourselves a living archive,' she said, explaining that at the events, they not only display the art from 2020 but also commission artists to create new murals on blank panels. There are also workshops to encourage new and continuing art and activism. 'This is a movement where we are empowering people through art to understand that they have a voice, understand their agency, and learn how to protect and preserve their own stories and histories in real time,' Kelly said. Kelly, who describes herself as an advocate for police reform, said that while there was a 'brief period' of progress after 2020 in that regard, she feels that making a change has been slow and in some ways, it has been 'one step forward, two steps back." 'I think that that progress scared people, and that's how we ended up back here with Trump as president, and in a space where our rights and our freedoms are being threatened right now,' Kelly told ABC News. Justice Department moves to drop police reform agreements with Louisville, Minneapolis The U.S. Department of Justice said on Wednesday that it is moving to drop police reform agreements, known as consent decrees, that the Biden-era department reached with the cities of Louisville, Kentucky and Minneapolis. The court-enforceable agreements were born out of probes launched not only after George Floyd's death, but also the 2020 police killing of Breonna Taylor. Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon claimed in announcing the decision on Wednesday that Biden administration officials relied on "faulty legal theories" and "cherry-picked" statistics in order to accuse departments of widespread misconduct. She further claimed that consent decrees can increase bureaucracy for police, which she said makes recruiting and retaining officers more difficult. "It's our view at the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division under the Trump administration that federal micromanagement of local police should be a rare exception and not the norm, and certainly not something that we're seeking to increase in our time here," Dhillon told reporters in an off-camera briefing. Despite the challenges that advocates are facing, Kelly said that locally, in Minneapolis and St. Paul, 'a lot has changed.' '[The community] has really sort of discovered our agency and our power, and we've learned to work together, and we are supporting one another,' she said. 5 years after George Floyd's death, Minneapolis police work to rebuild trust and a 'decimated' force Kelly said that events like Justice for George, which has been held annually since 2021, are huge community efforts and are made possible by a dedicated group of volunteers and funding that Memorialize the Movement obtains through various grants. '[We want] to focus on our resilience as a community,' Kelly said, 'to focus on everything that we've been able to accomplish and everything that we can still accomplish within our power, despite what's going on at the federal level.' Minneapolis group works to preserve 2020 protest art after George Floyd's death originally appeared on
26-05-2025
Minneapolis group works to preserve 2020 protest art after George Floyd's death
Five years ago, during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, video of then-Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin kneeling on the neck of George Floyd until he died shocked the world and sparked widespread protests. Untold pieces of protest art also were created in public spaces across the U.S. – from murals honoring Floyd, to calls for justice and support for the Black Lives Matter movement, which swelled in the wake of Floyd's death. Today, much of that protest art has been taken down. The Black Lives Matter mural painted on 16th Street in Washington, D.C., was removed in March, while other murals, many painted on plywood that boarded up closed businesses during the pandemic shutdown, were removed over the months after Floyd's death. Advocates in Minneapolis, however, have been working over the past five years to save hundreds of pieces of public protest art, hoping to ensure that Floyd is never forgotten and that the message behind the art is memorialized, along with the movement it documented. 'Art can be used as a tool in the present to ignite and propel social movements forward, which is what we're seeing right now with this art,' said Leesa Kelly, the founder of Memorialize the Movement. The group describes itself as "a living archive dedicated to collecting, preserving, and activating the plywood protest murals that were created during the Minneapolis Uprising of 2020 and beyond." According to Kelly, who began her efforts in the summer of 2020, the group has now collected and preserved over 1,000 pieces of 2020 protest art. 'I felt this enormous weight to be the one to decide to protect these stories and to make sure that the movement continues through the preservation of this art,' Kelly told ABC News, reflecting on her five-year journey. 'I feel an enormous sense of pride having the foresight to do this.' Kelly said that since 2021, Memorialize the Movement has been 'activating' the 2020 murals via exhibits to ensure that Floyd's legacy is not forgotten. Much of that art was displayed at a weekend Justice for George event in Minneapolis. 'We call ourselves a living archive,' she said, explaining that at the events, they not only display the art from 2020 but also commission artists to create new murals on blank panels. There are also workshops to encourage new and continuing art and activism. 'This is a movement where we are empowering people through art to understand that they have a voice, understand their agency, and learn how to protect and preserve their own stories and histories in real time,' Kelly said. Kelly, who describes herself as an advocate for police reform, said that while there was a 'brief period' of progress after 2020 in that regard, she feels that making a change has been slow and in some ways, it has been 'one step forward, two steps back." 'I think that that progress scared people, and that's how we ended up back here with Trump as president, and in a space where our rights and our freedoms are being threatened right now,' Kelly told ABC News. Justice Department moves to drop police reform agreements with Louisville, Minneapolis The U.S. Department of Justice said on Wednesday that it is moving to drop police reform agreements, known as consent decrees, that the Biden-era department reached with the cities of Louisville, Kentucky and Minneapolis. The court-enforceable agreements were born out of probes launched not only after George Floyd's death, but also the 2020 police killing of Breonna Taylor. Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon claimed in announcing the decision on Wednesday that Biden administration officials relied on "faulty legal theories" and "cherry-picked" statistics in order to accuse departments of widespread misconduct. She further claimed that consent decrees can increase bureaucracy for police, which she said makes recruiting and retaining officers more difficult. "It's our view at the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division under the Trump administration that federal micromanagement of local police should be a rare exception and not the norm, and certainly not something that we're seeking to increase in our time here," Dhillon told reporters in an off-camera briefing. Despite the challenges that advocates are facing, Kelly said that locally, in Minneapolis and St. Paul, 'a lot has changed.' '[The community] has really sort of discovered our agency and our power, and we've learned to work together, and we are supporting one another,' she said. Kelly said that events like Justice for George, which has been held annually since 2021, are huge community efforts and are made possible by a dedicated group of volunteers and funding that Memorialize the Movement obtains through various grants. '[We want] to focus on our resilience as a community,' Kelly said, 'to focus on everything that we've been able to accomplish and everything that we can still accomplish within our power, despite what's going on at the federal level.'
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
George Floyd: Minneapolis, St. Paul events mark his death, community response
Sunday, May 25, marks five years since the killing of George Floyd. In remembrance of his life and the response to his murder, Minnesota communities are coming together in celebration of the movement and mourning lives lost. Here are some events: The artist collective Memorialize the Movement is hosting its fifth annual Justice for George event that features art-making, large-scale mural exhibitions, music and dance performances over the course of five days. The theme of this year's event is 'Radical Joy,' which 'encourages community care, connections, and healing, while continuing to grieve, mourn, and fight for a better future for Black communities.' Thursday, May 22, and Saturday, May 24, from 7 to 9 p.m. at Pillsbury House + Theater, 3501 Chicago Avenue, Minneapolis, the organization hosts a free reading of the one-act play, 'Kill Move Paradise.' The play, written by Pulitzer Prize winner James Ijames (Fat Ham), explores the brotherhood of murdered black men who 'offer each other solace and reconciliation, as they prepare for ascension to paradise and their new roles as spiritual guardians and saints.' An open discussion will follow the performance. Registration for the event is required. Friday, May 23, from 6 to 10 p.m. at 3140 Snelling Ave., Minneapolis, the organization hosts Paint to Express Summer Kickback. The free event features grilled food and painters workshops, which are hosted monthly by the organization to 'provide the community with a safe space to express themselves creatively.' Registration is required. Sunday, May 25, from 12 to 8 p.m. at Phelps Field Park, 701 E. 39th St., Minneapolis, the organization hosts the Justice for George main event, which features live performances, muralists, a vendor fair and other opportunities for community connection. Registration and/or free tickets are required for these events. For information, visit The fifth annual Rise & Remember Festival serves to remember George Floyd and 'those we have lost unjustly to the pervasive impacts of systemic racism,' according to their website. The three-day festival will include a candlelight vigil, a Night of Honor and street festival. Friday, May 23, from 4:30 p.m. to 12 a.m. at Quincy Hall, 1325 Quincy St., Minneapolis, the Night to Remember gala, dinner and award ceremony will 'celebrate the contributions of the people's work toward racial justice' and feature live performances from comedian Hope Flood, DJ Sophia Eris, Maria Isa, Mr. Cheeks, The East Side Boyz and others. The dress code for the event is formal wear and sneakers. Tickets for the dinner and award ceremony, which begins at 4:30 p.m. cost $44.52. Tickets for the concert cost $81.88. Saturday, May 24, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at George Floyd Square, 38th Street East and Chicago Avenue South, Minneapolis, the street festival will kick off for day one of the two-day weekend event. From 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., a 'self-care fair,' aimed at 'providing opportunities for community members to experience integrative health practices,' will feature wellness vendors and practitioners, along with free wellness services. From 6 to 7 p.m., rapper DEE-1 will host a performance at the square. Sunday, May 25, from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. at George Floyd Square, the street festival will continue. From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Worldwide Outreach for Christ will lead a worship service. Then from 2 to 6 p.m., the self-care fair will continue. From 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., Sounds of Blackness will perform a gospel concert and a candlelight vigil will follow from 8 to 9 p.m. For tickets and additional information, visit Saturday, May 24, from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. at Red Balloon Bookshop, 891 Grand Ave., St. Paul, author Shannon Gibney and Ananya Dance Theatre host a reading of Gibney's picture book, 'We Miss You, George Floyd.' The event will occur outdoors if weather permits and will include interactive crafts and a movement activity led by Ananya Dance Theatre. The event is free and attendees can RSVP at Justice Department moves to cancel Minneapolis police reform settlement Minnesota Freedom Fund to stop bailing out jailed defendants Readers and writers: A guide to Minnesota's spring and summer books George Floyd killing separated Trump from his generals Sunday, May 25, from 4 to 7 p.m. at Venture Bikes Midtown,1000 Midtown Greenway, Minneapolis, Melanin in Motion hosts Slow Roll, Ride to Remember, a narrated biking event that will visit sites 'that were central to the community response' to the murder of George Floyd. These sites include George Floyd Square, the Midtown Exchange building, Powderhorn Park, the former site of the 3rd Precinct police station and 3030 Nicollet Ave., where a Wells Fargo branch burned. A community meal and conversation will follow the bike ride from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. This event is free and bikes can be provided if needed, though they are limited. For tickets, search for Melanin in Motion at
