George Floyd Memorial

Hundreds of people gathered to pay their respects during an open-casket memorial for George Floyd at the R.L. Douglas ape Fear Conference B Headquarters in Raeford, North Carolina, June 6, 2020. Floyd was killed by a Minneapolis police officer who kneeled on his neck for nearly nine minutes, which sparked protests and riots nation wide. The memorial took place in Hoke County where his sister, Bridgett Floyd, lives. Groups of people chanted George Floyd’s name and “Black Lives Matter” throughout the course of the day by the street as vehicles drove past the memorial site. The public viewing began at 10:00 a.m., followed by a private ceremony for friends and family. Residents from a nearby neighborhood gave out free water to keep people cool in the North Carolina heat. Traffic backed up for more than a mile leading up to the memorial center. The majority of the public who attended the memorial was from the local region. (Photos by Michel Sauret)