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A young woman wearing a black jacket and brown headdress speaks through a red and white bullhorn microphone. There are several students holding signs or standing in solidarity behind her.

Students from Roosevelt High School participate in a statewide walkout on April 19, 2021 in Minneapolis. Students from high schools across Minneapolis gathered at the U.S. Bank Stadium to stand in solidarity against racial injustice and honor the lives of George Floyd and Daunte Wright.

Brandon Bell / Getty Images

Remembering George Floyd: Young people fight against racial violence and demand justice for all

By  Chalkbeat Staff
 
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It has been a year since we watched George Floyd, a Black man, die beneath the knee of a white Minneapolis police officer. 

The cell phone footage of his brutal death sparked global protests that raged through the summer, igniting a long overdue conversation about racism in America.   

For the last 12 months, young people have helped propel this country’s multifaceted racial reckoning. They have marched through the streets, supported equity in pandemic-era classrooms, kneeled on ball fields, created powerful activist art, spoken out on social media, and stood up for justice in spaces where young folks gather.

While former police officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty of Floyd’s murder last month, the fight against systems that support racism, both implicit and explicit, is far from over. 

Today as we remember George Floyd and the movement that he inspired, we offer these powerful images as a reminder that the next generation is watching.  

A young woman wearing a black jacket and brown headdress speaks through a red and white bullhorn microphone. There are several students holding signs or standing in solidarity behind her.
Students from Roosevelt high school participate in a statewide walkout on April 19, 2021 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Students from high schools across Minneapolis gathered at the U.S. Bank Stadium to stand in solidarity against racial injustice and honor the lives of George Floyd and Daunte Wright. | Brandon Bell / Getty Images
1 of 11
Three boys, one in a black tank top and two wearing white t-shirts, stand in front of a blue mural in honor of George Floyd. The mural has Floyd’s portrait with angel wings on either side.
A group of boys poses next to a mural of George Floyd during a block party celebrating Juneteenth outside of the Scott Food Mart on June 19, 2020 in Houston, Texas. | Mark Felix / AFP via Getty Images
2 of 11
A young boy in a blue protective mask raises his fist as a protester bumps his fist with a police officer in full riot gear, surrounded by several other police.
A protester fist bumps a police officer as a young boy raises his fist during a demonstration on May 31, 2020 in Atlanta, Georgia. | Elijah Nouvelage / Getty Images
3 of 11
A woman wearing a yellow bandana and black shirt consoles a young man wearing a black shirt and jeans who is under duress. There are two people in the foreground, one with a red bandana.
A woman comforts a boy who was pepper sprayed during a protest on May 29, 2020 in Denver, Colorado. | Michael Ciaglo / Getty Images
4 of 11
Demonstrators protesting the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police face off with Denver Police officers outside the Colorado Capitol. A blue light highlights the faces of all on the scene.
Demonstrators protesting the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police face off with Denver Police officers outside the Colorado Capitol. | Hyoung Chang / The Denver Post
5 of 11
A group of young students lie on the ground during a die-in protest. The young woman in the center is wearing blue jeans, a black tank top and a red scarf on her arm. Other students’ limbs are all around her.
Students gather outside the University of Minnesota Police Department for a die-in on June 07, 2020 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. | Brandon Bell / Getty Images
6 of 11
Two little boys, wearing similar blue shirts and shorts, wave a peace sign to a mural of George Floyd. There are rows of flowers between them and the mural.
Two boys hold up the peace sign in front of a painting of George Floyd at a memorial site near Cup Foods on June 14, 2020 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. | Stephen Maturen / Getty Images
7 of 11
A boy with short hair and a green shirt holds a sign with the word “Justice” prominently displayed. A ray of light falls on the right side of his face.
A boy stands with a sign during a demonstration on June 24, 2020 in St. Paul, Minnesota. | Brandon Bell / Getty Images
8 of 11
A young woman wearing a cream colored jacket, blue shirt and cloth mask holds a drawing of Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. Students hold a purple banner behind her.
Denver South High School student, Graça Jovelino, 16, a recent immigrant from Angola, holds her drawing of Ahmaud Arbery, left, George Floyd, center, and Breonna Taylor. right, during a 9 minute and 29 second moment of silence at Denver South High School on April 21, 2021. | Andy Cross / The Denver Post
9 of 11
A child wearing a red mask, jean jacket and white pants with a red stripe is carried on their father’s shoulders, who wears orange-rimmed glasses and a blue mask with designs. Many people around them are bowing their heads.
A child sits on his father’s shoulders at a gathering at the intersection of 38th Street and Chicago Avenue following the verdict in the Derek Chauvin trial on April 20, 2021 in Minneapolis, Minnesota | Brandon Bell / Getty Images
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Demonstrators march in memory of George Floyd. In the center, a woman wearing a light blue hoodie and pink pants holds a sign that reads “Who said we’re satisfied?” and speaks through a bull-horn microphone.
People march during an inaugural remembrance demonstration for George Floyd on May 23, 2021 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. | Brandon Bell / Getty Images
11 of 11
A young woman wearing a black jacket and brown headdress speaks through a red and white bullhorn microphone. There are several students holding signs or standing in solidarity behind her.
Three boys, one in a black tank top and two wearing white t-shirts, stand in front of a blue mural in honor of George Floyd. The mural has Floyd’s portrait with angel wings on either side.
A young boy in a blue protective mask raises his fist as a protester bumps his fist with a police officer in full riot gear, surrounded by several other police.
A woman wearing a yellow bandana and black shirt consoles a young man wearing a black shirt and jeans who is under duress. There are two people in the foreground, one with a red bandana.
Demonstrators protesting the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police face off with Denver Police officers outside the Colorado Capitol. A blue light highlights the faces of all on the scene.
A group of young students lie on the ground during a die-in protest. The young woman in the center is wearing blue jeans, a black tank top and a red scarf on her arm. Other students’ limbs are all around her.
Two little boys, wearing similar blue shirts and shorts, wave a peace sign to a mural of George Floyd. There are rows of flowers between them and the mural.
A boy with short hair and a green shirt holds a sign with the word “Justice” prominently displayed. A ray of light falls on the right side of his face.
A young woman wearing a cream colored jacket, blue shirt and cloth mask holds a drawing of Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. Students hold a purple banner behind her.
A child wearing a red mask, jean jacket and white pants with a red stripe is carried on their father’s shoulders, who wears orange-rimmed glasses and a blue mask with designs. Many people around them are bowing their heads.
Demonstrators march in memory of George Floyd. In the center, a woman wearing a light blue hoodie and pink pants holds a sign that reads “Who said we’re satisfied?” and speaks through a bull-horn microphone.