George Floyd Statues Unveiled In The US As Reminder To Keep ‘Paying Attention’
Image via bgrocker / Shutterstock.com
Terrence Floyd, the brother of George Floyd, along with others are highlighting that the mission for racial equity and inclusivity isn’t over. To commemorate the Juneteenth federal holiday and remember Black lives that were unjustly taken away, new statues of the late Floyd were set up across cities in the US.
On Saturday, Terrence Floyd unveiled a six-foot-tall bust of his brother at a Juneteenth rally held outside the Brooklyn Public Library. Created by artist Chris Carnabuci, the sculpture is hand-assembled with pieces of plywood, each cut out with 3D modeling software and CNC equipment.
Last Wednesday, Newark mayor Ras Baraka revealed a 700-pound bronze George Floyd statue outside city hall. Floyd is depicted to be seated on one side of a bench, his arm stretched over the shoulder of whomever sits beside him. Baraka described the man as a symbol of “a lot more than himself at this juncture in history,” according to USA Today.
The monuments were presented a year after fervent Black Lives Matter marches that saw confederate sculptures being toppled over. Floyd was killed by Minneapolis police on Memorial Day last year, reverberating protests across the country.
“My brother was the sacrifice, so I need y’all to continue to pay attention and keep my big brother’s name ringing in the ears of everyone,” said his brother Terrence Floyd in a livestream.
Today Mayor @rasjbaraka unveiled a donated statue honoring George Floyd in front of City Hall, alongside Filmmaker Leon Pickney, Artist Stanley Watts, Activist Larry Hamm and more pic.twitter.com/nefig7fruE
— City of Newark (@CityofNewarkNJ) June 16, 2021
[via USA Today, images via various sources]
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