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
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She talks about how her brother was murdered in Detroit at 17. How police treated it like "just another murder in the hood" and never even looked into it How he made some bad friends to try to provide for their mom, who raised 6 kids on her own
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She talks about the cycles that keep people stuck in poverty. How the help that exists keeps people trapped in these cycles, how that's part of the problem She cries as she relates her brother's death. "He didn't have a chance. And that set the course of my life to this day"
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She talks about the need for unity. "We can't allow anger to win. We can't turn on each other" How George Floyd gave her hope for justice for her brother after 13 years "13 years not knowing why. 13 years not hearing his voice"
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She thanks the young people who put this together. How inspired she is by the next generation Editorial comment: me too
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The crowd says her brother's name: Sherif White
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Renae's instagram: Neva4gotten_sherif She said her Cashapp but I missed it, it's hopefully on her IG sorry
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Demetria Hester takes the stage! She talks about the gaslighting: police claims that we somehow deserve this "And there's nothing we have done to deserve any of the treatment we've gotten. And yet, we're here."
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Demetria leads the crowd in a chant of "Fuck the Police" She reminds us that the police not only kill our community members, but tell us it's our fault. Talks about the wounds these things inflict on the community
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She leads a chant of George Floyd's name. Fists in the air "This is why we fight. THIS is why we fight!" She talks about how to heal. Justice. Reparations. Remaking the system into something that serves the people
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The last speaker of the night is George Floyd's cousin He tells us that George Floyd was about two things: family and community "There was never a time when he was called on and didn't step up. Never!"
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He tells us George Floyd turnt it up at all times. Loved to have a good time. That we're gonna honor his memory by doing the same tonight He expresses disappointment that more people aren't out here, but how good it feels to know how much his cousin matters to the people here
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"Black Lives Matter is about community! We take care of our own!" He encourages people to come out to the Red House: a safe place for Black and Indigenous people
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"Big Floyd was about the struggle! He didn't have no options, like all the Black men in America!" He talks about the daily struggle. bout not having the option for fear He talks about alliance: about how aligning oneself with a movement involves listening
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He calls a young child named Nova to the stage. Asks everyone to stand up The audience claps a beat while she sings "the Elmo song." It is about the cutest thing I've ever seen
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Fists in the air "Total abolition means TOTAL abolition," Floyd's cousin says "Every system Must. Come. Down"
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He talks about how 14 million kids--three times as many as in the Great Depression--don't get enough to eat How it's gotta change "We just destroy all systems of government. It can be done! It must be done"
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He encourages anyone who wants to give money to him to give it to the Red House project:
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He also encourages people to donate to the Black leadership in Portland, so that they can concentrate on helping the community
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One final speaker steps forward: pastor Deshawn Williams He reminds us of America's legacy of slavery. That Black people today are "free-ish" "My brothers and my sisters, we must live in this hour...in our best life, despite those systematic challenges that confront us daily"
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"we must cry out to let the systems of our oppressors know that we will live, and we will not die!" He talks about Jesus' promise of abundant living. "A social justice warrior. Black Jesus! Can I say that?" The crowd affirms that he can
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He talks about the importance of this struggle in time. Part of something that came before, in the name of that which comes after About the importance of maintaining hope About our roles in upholding the hope in each other
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"Go forth and live, because we cannot die in this hour...even if we grow tired, we must continue to move forward" He reminds white people how badly the movement needs them to use their privilege to advance the cause of justice
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He closes with a prayer asking God to watch over the movement, to sustain it and show the right path. For those involved to stand strong. For unity The crowd applauds
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The organizers present George Floyd's cousin with the balloons from the memorial He releases them. As they float into the heavens, the crowd chants George Floyd's namepic.twitter.com/Y2T8846ST9
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The party will continue at the Red House, but this extremely cold reporter is going home to have hot toddies and either video games or reading, depending on how virtuous I feel Rest in Power, George Floyd
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Epilogue: some editorializing Events like these correctly focus on the beauty and worth of the life lost. By all accounts George Floyd was a wonderful person: a father, a pillar of his community, beloved by friends and family alike We should commemorate these things, always
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Unfortunately, a side effect of this correct form of grief is that it opens the door for the most irrelevant and disgusting argument possible in a situation like this: whether or not George Floyd was a good person It Doesn't Fucking Matter
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It doesn't matter if George Floyd had a drug problem. Addicts don't deserve to be murdered, some of my best friends struggle with addiction It doesn't matter if George Floyd made mistakes in his past. Who the fuck hasn't No one deserves to die like that. NO ONE
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If you come into my fucking mentions talking shit about George Floyd first of all fuck you you're blocked and secondly I sure hope you aren't a Christian because Jesus would not approve If you're a believer: God loves ALL His children. ALL souls are made in His image
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Nothing will bring back lives lost, there can be nothing like real justice. The scars of the past never truly heal All we can do is strive for a future where this is an ugly historical memory instead of a grinding, continuous horror Let's fight as hard as we can to get there
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End of conversation
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