MSR-hosted event honored George Floyd’s legacy

Panelists reflected on what comes next

Community members, advocates and local leaders gathered Wednesday evening at the University of Minnesota’s Urban Research and Outreach-Engagement Center (UROC) to mark five years since the murder of George Floyd, reflecting on the past and asking a pointed question: Where do we go from here?

The event, hosted by the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder, featured musical and spoken-word performances, emotional testimony, and a panel discussion on justice and reform in the wake of Floyd’s death, which was captured on video and sparked global protests in 2020.

“As a community, we cannot afford to look away or pretend the work is done,” said Tracey Williams-Dillard, CEO and publisher of the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder, who moderated the forum. “This event is about truth, transparency, and imagining what justice and real accountability can look like — locally and nationally.”

The evening began with a performance by Known MPLS, a local youth and young adult choir, whose soulful hymns included lyrics such as “I know there’s hope in these waters” and “go easy on me.”

“I created this group to spread love,” said Courtland Pickens, the choir’s leader.

Andre Locke, father of Amir Locke — a 22-year-old Black man shot and killed by Minneapolis police during a no-knock warrant in 2022 — delivered a powerful testimony during a special fireside chat. Locke spoke about the pain of losing his son and the family’s decision to produce a documentary titled “No Knock, No Charge? The Amir Locke Story.”

“His name wasn’t in your warrant, but his name is going to be in your law book,” a line from the documentary trailer declares. “We wanted to document everything from the beginning so that we had our own story,” Locke said. “We weren’t prepared for what we were up against.”

Reflecting on the night his son died, Locke said, “When it all boiled down, I couldn’t teach my son how to survive while being asleep.” Audience members offered a standing ovation following Locke’s remarks.

The event also included a spoken word performance by local artist Kennedy Pounds, titled “It’s Been Five Years.” Her piece began with the lines “Knee on his neck, breath fading, hope slipping…” and concluded with the chant, “No justice, no peace.”

A pre-recorded video from Los Angeles radio host Tavis Smiley played during the event. In his remarks, Smiley criticized President Donald Trump, Black Republicans, and local organizations that have opposed diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.

“America has grown older, but not wiser,” Smiley said.

The program concluded with a panel discussion featuring Medaria Arradondo, former Minneapolis police chief and current CEO of Optimus Sui Consulting; Nekima Levy Armstrong, civil rights attorney and founder of the Racial Justice Network; Dr. Yohuru Williams, professor and founding director of the Racial Justice Initiative at the University of St. Thomas; and Mary Moriarty, Hennepin County attorney.

Levy Armstrong recounted calling Arradondo on the day Floyd was killed. She said he initially believed the incident was a medical emergency.

“I picked up the phone and called Chief Arradondo and he picked up,” Levy Armstrong said. “He was told someone had died from a medical incident. I encouraged him to look at the footage because the community was saying otherwise.”

Arradondo said he was first notified that an individual had experienced a medical emergency while in police custody and was being transported to Hennepin County Medical Center. “That was the account relayed to me, until Nekima sent me the video,” Arradondo said, referring to the viral footage captured by teenager Darnella Frazier.

Dr. Williams recalled his reaction upon seeing the video. “After spending these beautiful summers in Minnesota, where Black lives mattered, I thought, ‘I escaped,’” he said.

Moriarty said the video was key in shifting public perception. “It was really the video that allowed people to understand what had happened,” she said. 

“I thought that would be the opportunity for true racial reckoning. Right now, we’re going backward. But I thought that at the time.”

Levy Armstrong said the trauma continues because the incident represented an abuse of power, not a response to danger. “In this instance it was like we were looking at a demon looking at us,” she said, referring to former officer Derek Chauvin, “with a knee on a Black man’s neck.”

The free event aimed to honor Floyd’s legacy, acknowledge ongoing grief, and encourage community-led solutions for lasting change. In conclusion to the overall question of the evening, “Where do we go from here?” panelists affirmed that healing was still well underway, and that accountability remains essential, even five years later, acknowledging recent rollbacks on DEI and constitutional rights battles led by President Trump.

“The question of ‘What does justice look like?’ is laughable,” said Locke, following a brief chuckle. “Justice is right in front of us, in unity — continuing to have these conversations — and holding our local leaders accountable to their roles.”

Jasmine McBride welcomes reader responses at jmcbride@spokesman-recorder.com.

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