Mural of George Floyd

“Rise & Remember” George Floyd on May 25th

Today, we remember George Floyd. To mark the anniversary of his death, Floyd’s family has asked us to “Rise & Remember”.

We remember George Floyd through the words and shared memories of his family. Floyd, as he was affectionately called, was known to his community as a protector who was kind to everyone. Friends recall Floyd’s willingness to share his life experiences as a tool for shared growth and how much he truly loved and cared for people. When we think of George Floyd’s life, we also reflect on the lives of Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Daunte Wright, Philando Castile, Tamir Rice, Atatiana Jefferson, and so many others.

We rise through our continued actions to dismantle the systems of oppression and anti-black racism that led to Floyd’s death and the deaths of Black and African American people across our country. While Floyd’s murderer has been held accountable, we know the work to create a truly just and equitable society where all Black Lives Matter is ongoing. For our office, these efforts take shape through the continued conversations we are holding with university leadership, the accountability we are asking of ourselves and our partners, and the actions for systemic change we are outlining, with support from President McConnell, through the Courageous Strategic Transformation process.

As George Floyd’s daughter Gianna said, “Daddy changed the world!”. It is up to each of us to never forget Floyd and ensure that the Black Lives Matter movement continues to take root and grow into a future where his daughter’s vision of a world changed toward equity and justice is a lived reality for all Black people.

Read President McConnell’s message to the CSU community