Friends, families, and concerned individuals gathered at a private memorial service in Minneapolis to honor George Floyd on Thursday.
Thousands also streamed the memorial service online to salute and grieve George Floyd – the unarmed black man who died after a white police officer pinned him to the ground and pressed his knee on his neck for nearly nine minutes.
The memorial service took place at the Frank J. Lindquist Sanctuary at North Central University, located about 3 miles north of the intersection where George was arrested on Memorial Day.
Rev. Al Sharpton delivered the eulogy at the service.
Sharpton, the founder of the National Action Network, denounced racism and called for accountability in the criminal justice system.
“The reason we could never be who we wanted to be and dreamed of being is you kept your knee on our neck,” said Sharpton who spoke near a casket carrying Floyd’s body.
“What happened to Floyd happens every day in this country, in education, in health services, and in every area of American life,” Sharpton added.
“It is time for us to stand up in George’s name and say get your knee of our necks.”
Following his eulogy, Sharpton directed attendees to join him in silence for 8 minutes and 46 seconds — the same amount of time than an officer held his knee on Floyd’s neck while he was in custody.
“That’s a long time, Sharpton said. “That’s how long he was laying there.”
George Floyd memorial service commenced with T.I, Ludacris Tyrese Gibson, Kevin Hart, and others in attendance.
Other notable names n attendance include Gov. Tim Walz, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, of Minneapolis, civil rights leaders Martin Luther King III, and Rev. Jesse Jackson among many others.
T.I. and his wife Tiny alongside Ludacris, Tyrese Gibson, Kevin Hart, Tiffany Haddish, Will Packer, Master P, and Marsai Martin are among the stars at the memorial service.
Another memorial service is scheduled for Saturday in Raeford, N.C., where Floyd was born.
A funeral will be held in Houston on Tuesday – Floyd lived much of his life there until he moved to Minneapolis.
See more photos from the memorial below:
However, the four Minneapolis officers (Derek Chauvin Thomas Lane, J. Kueng, and Tou Thao) involved in George Floyd’s death have all been charged.
