Image credit: Georgios Serafeim / Shutterstock.com
May 25, 2025, marked a solemn milestone: the fifth anniversary of the murder of George Floyd, a moment that not only changed his family’s life forever but also ignited a worldwide reckoning on race, justice, and policing. To commemorate the day, Floyd’s family, alongside civil rights activists, political leaders, and supporters, gathered in Houston — George’s hometown — to reflect on his legacy, honor his life, and renew their call for meaningful change.
The event took place in Houston’s Third Ward, at Cuney Homes, the public housing complex where George Floyd spent much of his early life. The location was deeply symbolic — not just a setting of childhood memories, but a living community still grappling with systemic issues Floyd’s death helped bring to international attention.
The day began with a private ceremony for the Floyd family, attended by his brother Philonise Floyd and sisters LaTonya and Zsa Zsa Floyd. These intimate moments gave way to a larger, public gathering, where voices rang out through poetry, music, prayer, and personal tributes. Attendees included renowned civil rights figures like Reverend Al Sharpton, attorney Ben Crump, and Congresswoman Nikema Williams, alongside Houston city officials and grassroots community members.
As the sun cast a golden light over Cuney Homes, Philonise Floyd stood before the crowd and spoke with steady resolve. “We’re fighting for a purpose,” he said. “We’re not going anywhere.” His words were not just a message of remembrance but a rallying cry — a declaration that the struggle for justice did not end with the conviction of Derek Chauvin, the former officer who knelt on George Floyd’s neck for 9 minutes and 29 seconds, but continues in the fight for systemic reform.
The memorial was more than a gathering — it was a national moment of reflection. In 2020, George Floyd’s final breaths, captured in a video watched by millions, sparked a tidal wave of protests across the globe. From Minneapolis to London, from Johannesburg to Tokyo, people chanted “I can’t breathe” — his dying words — as a symbol of resistance against police brutality and racial injustice.
At the Houston event, LaTonya Floyd took a more artistic route to express her pain and hope, singing a rendition of the O’Jays’ soulful anthem “Family Reunion.” Her voice carried through the community as a powerful reminder of what binds us all: the need for connection, love, and unity in the face of grief. The performance left many in tears, offering a moment of collective healing.
Reverend Al Sharpton, who has stood beside the Floyd family from the beginning, compared George Floyd’s murder to the 1955 lynching of Emmett Till — a pivotal moment that sparked the American Civil Rights Movement. He recounted the early days of the tragedy, when attorney Ben Crump traveled to Minneapolis during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic to stand with the family. “I promised them that we would be there to the end,” Sharpton said, with unwavering determination.
Sharpton emphasized that Floyd’s murder was not an isolated event, but rather a symptom of a larger, deeply entrenched problem in the American justice system. “We must not forget what brought us here,” he said. “The world saw what happened, and the world responded — but that momentum must not be allowed to fade.”
Despite the global outcry and widespread protests that followed George Floyd’s death, much of the early energy for reform has faced political resistance and backlash — especially at the federal level. Speakers at the Houston memorial sharply criticized the rollback of police reform measures under former President Donald Trump’s administration, particularly the reversal of federal consent decrees in places like Minneapolis and Louisville.
“To wait till the anniversary to announce this,” Sharpton said, referencing recent federal decisions, “is tantamount to spitting on the grave of George Floyd.” His words struck a chord, reflecting widespread frustration at the lack of progress in Washington, D.C.
Congresswoman Nikema Williams joined the memorial and offered her commitment to legislative reform. She, like many others, supports the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act — a sweeping reform bill that aims to increase accountability for law enforcement misconduct, ban chokeholds, restrict no-knock warrants, and create a national police misconduct registry. Despite being introduced shortly after Floyd’s death in 2020, the bill remains stalled in Congress due to political gridlock.
“I’m here to do my part,” Williams said, her voice firm. “And I will never turn my back on this family.” Her words were met with cheers, but also tempered by the reality of the ongoing battle for justice at the legislative level.
While George Floyd’s name became a global symbol, the movement that followed his death includes the countless others who have suffered or died due to racial violence and police brutality. At the memorial, family members made sure to remember others as well — including Ahmaud Arbery, who was chased and murdered by white vigilantes in Georgia, and Breonna Taylor, who was killed during a botched no-knock police raid in Louisville.
“George was the flame that set this world on fire,” one relative said. “But he’s not the only one. His story just opened the floodgates.”
That flame, they emphasized, must be kept alive — not just through remembrance, but through sustained activism, legislation, and cultural change. Across the country, similar events were held in other cities, all reinforcing the collective resolve to never forget, and never stop pushing forward.
Attorney Ben Crump, often referred to as “Black America’s Attorney General,” praised the Floyd family’s grace and fortitude during an unimaginable time of sorrow. “History will remember these moments — how we stood up, not just for George, but for our children and their futures,” Crump said.
He noted that while the family had every reason to withdraw into private grief, they instead became advocates, speakers, and leaders in a movement much bigger than themselves. “They turned pain into power,” Crump added.
Five years may seem like a long time, but for many who gathered in Houston, it felt like yesterday. While there have been some local reforms — such as increased use of body cameras, de-escalation training, and community policing initiatives — large-scale national reform remains elusive.
Yet, change is still visible in the cultural landscape. Conversations about race and privilege are now more mainstream. Corporate boards, media platforms, and educational institutions have been pushed to confront long-standing inequities. Even the way we understand power and accountability in society has shifted — largely due to the global movement born from Floyd’s murder.
However, activists warn against complacency. “Awareness is not the same as action,” one organizer noted. “We’ve seen too many moments of outrage lead to nothing. We need laws. We need accountability. We need real change.”
As the sun set on the Houston memorial, many attendees stood in silence, hands held or heads bowed, not just to mourn, but to meditate on what comes next. The question hovering over the entire event was clear: How do we ensure George Floyd did not die in vain?
The answer, many agreed, lies in collective responsibility — from policymakers and law enforcement to community leaders, educators, and everyday citizens. It lies in the courage to speak up, to vote, to organize, and to hold institutions accountable.
Most of all, it lies in never forgetting.
