The Legacy of George Floyd's Death Five Years Later
Ask students: What percent of Americans thought that protests around George Floyd's killing did not lead to improvements in the lives of Black citizens?
On May 25, 2020, George Floyd was killed by Minneapolis police. Video of the event sent shockwaves around the world and triggered an American reckoning with racial justice and police use of force. For our ongoing series “Race Matters,” John Yang speaks with Selwyn Jones, Floyd’s uncle and co-founder of Justice 929, about his family’s continued fight for civil rights and police reform.
View the transcript of the story.
Discussion Questions
- When and Where was George Floyd killed by police?
- What percent of Americans thought that protests around George Floyd's killing did not lead to improvements in the lives of Black citizens?
- Who is Selwyn Jones, and what is his relationship to George Floyd?
- How does Jones connect the attention on George Floyd's killing and COVID?
- Why does Jones want to address more than just police brutality with his activism?
Focus Questions
In this segment, host John Yang notes that while some police reforms did take place across the U.S. following George Floyd protests, killings by police officers have gone up compared to five years ago.
Selwyn Jones responds by saying, "I think the mental health that goes along with being a police officer has to be stressful. So we need more patience. You know, obviously we need more mental health evaluations . . . All I know is this is, we have to continue this fight, this push."
- Do you think mental health evaluations for police officers would help reduce shootings?
- If not, what action or law do you think would help reduce shootings the most?
Media literacy: Examine the graphic below. Why do you think attitudes toward reform are so negative? If you could follow up with one question for those asked, what would it be?
Extension Activity
Watch the following video with reflections from Minneapolis residents five years after Floyd's death. Then discuss — what reflection caught your attention, and why? Who else would you want to hear from to understand how Minneapolis has changed in the wake of the killing and the protests that followed?
Republished with permission from PBS News Hour Classroom.
PBS News Hour Classroom helps teachers and students identify the who, what, where and why-it-matters of the major national and international news stories. The site combines the best of News Hour's reliable, trustworthy news program with lesson plans developed specifically for... See More
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