Five Years Later — The Enduring Legacy of George Floyd

MinneapoliMedia Editorial: Five Years Later — The Enduring Legacy of George Floyd

Part 1: May 25, 2020 — A Day That Shattered and Shook the World

Tribute To George Floyd ✊🏾

“I can’t breathe.”

Five years ago, those words echoed around the world, leaving a permanent imprint on the conscience of humanity.

On May 25, 2020, George Perry Floyd Jr. was murdered on a street corner in South Minneapolis. A police officer’s knee remained pressed on his neck for 9 minutes and 29 seconds, as Floyd pleaded for breath, for his mother, and ultimately, for his life. The world watched. And the world was forever changed.

For his family and those who loved him, the pain is still raw. The grief is not confined to May 25th; it lives in every holiday missed, every birthday uncelebrated, every milestone George Floyd should have been here to witness. His daughter, Gianna, once said, “Daddy changed the world.” And he did — but at an unbearable cost.

Minneapolis, the epicenter of this tragedy, was a city in mourning and in flames. Peaceful protestors filled the streets, demanding justice. But in the chaos of broken trust, the city’s streets also burned — Lake Street, once a bustling commercial artery, was reduced to smoke and rubble. These weren’t just buildings. They were livelihoods, symbols of community investment, and fragile hopes — lost to fire and fury born from decades of systemic failure.

Yet this wasn’t just a local tragedy. It became a global awakening.

From Tokyo to Toronto, from Nairobi to New York, millions took to the streets, holding signs bearing Floyd’s name. In Bristol, England, demonstrators pulled down the statue of slave trader Edward Colston. In Australia, calls grew louder over Indigenous deaths in custody. Around the world, institutions were forced to confront uncomfortable truths, long ignored.

George Floyd’s murder exposed a painful reality: for too long, Black lives have been seen as expendable. But it also ignited a reckoning — one that demanded the world do better.

As we mark this somber anniversary, we are left with a haunting question: What has truly changed?

Has justice been reimagined? Have police departments fundamentally evolved? Has America — and the world — taken the steps necessary to ensure this never happens again?

The answers are complex. The wounds remain open. The work is far from finished.

This week, MinneapoliMedia reflects not just on the life and legacy of George Floyd, but on what his death revealed, what it catalyzed, and what remains undone. This series will explore the heartbreak, the reckoning, and the road still ahead.