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Hi there, I am at the George Floyd memorial at Revolution Hall, where things are about to get underway. Maybe 150 people here George Floyd would have been 47 years old todaypic.twitter.com/mQax5LCToQ
This is, hopefully, gonna be a real mellow tweet thread about speeches and performances
I'm wearing regular clothes instead of a flak vest and kakhis. My dog is here. It feels nice
Hanging out with @JFlorencePDX as the night gets underway
The event opens with a prayer from a Black opera singer whose name I mjssed. An acknowledgement that the road is hard but a hope that we will see victory and triumph. For a people united He then sings a beautiful rendition of the Black National Anthem (sound on)pic.twitter.com/z0ugWepy5J
The singer is working on an album and a documentary. You can learn more on IG: MrOnry Cashapp is $emmanuel-heanrid
A Black activist speaks on the loss of George Floyd "He was silenced. So we're not going to be silent! We're going to make a bunch of noise for him!" The crowd screams "Happy Birthday George Floyd" on the count of 3
A projection against Revolution Hall as the sky grows darkpic.twitter.com/Enhdvwyukn
Another activist steps forward and expresses outrage that Derick Chauvin is out on bail They remind us that we've been out here for 138 days, which is a mind-boggling number
A Black activist reminds us that George Floyd was a father. The speaker begins to cry as they remind us that his children will never see their father again "It is so disturbing that one day when they get older they'll get online and look up their fathers death and see that"
It's surely hard to find words for this moment. The tragedy of it, the thing that galvanized a nation. But George Floyd wasn't a catalyst or an event or a name in a history book, but a man. He had children and family and a future
The next speaker has trouble starting. "It's heavy out here" they say, and the crowd cheers encouragement This space is too big for words. What else can we do but try? The activist speaks: they say that we can be his voice and his legacy
The crowd chants: "No justice, no peace!" "Get your knee off my neck!"
Next, a rapper named Jordan steps to the stage to perform He reminds us of the importance of celebrating George Floyd's life--it doesn't just have to be sad But we also have to hold people accountable He does a quick freestyle while people deal with technical difficultiespic.twitter.com/NQRL2mr9uK
As the audio continues to glitch out, the rapper reminds us that the Red House still needs people for the ongoing anti-eviction afford down there
The audio finally starts working and holy shit it's worth the wait. Normally I'd post a clip but y'all are getting the whole thing and you should listen to it. I have to split it in two, here's part 1pic.twitter.com/jAomcuBCJE
Jordan talks about working at Beaverton Carfax when the George Floyd news hit. He was the only black guy working there and he describes listening to his white coworkers talking about how it wasn't a big deal. One of them had the audacity to wonder what the cop was going through
"Clayton, I don't give a fuck what the cop was going through!" He quit in the next couple days Follow this dude on IG at NorfJordan Cashapp and Venmo is the same. Pay this man
They sing happy birthday to George Floyd. Activists have distributes tea lights to the crowdpic.twitter.com/Gyl7gjU9Az
After the song, the crowd shouts "Justice For George" and blows the candles out
A Black activist takes the megaphone. Talks about how people have moved on. But George Floyd's family hasn't moved on. Breonna Taylor's family haven't been moved on "Why aren't people still angry about this?" she asks. Her voice isn't angry, but deeply sad
She talks about the need for community. How we have to help each other while we're alive "You've got to remember that he was a PERSON. This is not a picture of a random black man! He was there for his community. His community will not forget about him"
Breaking news: the cake is really good There are gonna be more speeches after this cake break, including from a member of George Floyd's family. Stay tuned!
The crowd has reconvened for the second half of George Floyd's birthday celebration The next speaker is a 13-year-old activity named Kendall They talk about the vilification of George Floyd in the immediate aftermath of his dearh
"His life was beautiful! But we downplayed that. We didn't celebrate enough." "We need to do better for Black men! We WILL do better for Black men!"
My dumb ass is (probably) gonna misspell Jadai's name and there is no excuse for it: he's speaking now. Someone correct me in the comments He talks about the legacy of America: from colonialization to slavery
He talks about how low-income white indentured servants formed community with Black slaves at the start How the rich landowners saw this as a threat In 1705, the Virginia slave codes made all Black people slaves and set white indentured servants free
How the slave patrols that began in this period eventually became the modern police system we suffer under today
"You have to know your history to know where you're at. This is the origin of why we're here today, on George Floyd's birthday. Where he should be today, 47 years old and alive and breathing "But he's not. Because of where this country's from"
"do you think we can reform this?" "No!" the crowd yes He talks about how abolition is the only answer
"it's gonna take us continuously coming out here. Putting pressure on it. Trying to topple it. Like the statues" Cheers "Fuck Bitchtopher Columbus! Fuck Abraham Lincoln! Fuck all those presidents! They all have blood on their hands"
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