“Let’s Stop Thinking That Our Voice Don’t Matter”: George Floyd’s Brother Speaks Out

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In Minneapolis on Monday, Terrence Floyd delivered an emotional tribute to his brother George Floyd, whose death a week ago sparked protests against police brutality nationwide.

“My brother moved here from Houston and I used to talk to him on the phone,” he said, speaking into a megaphone on the street corner where Minnesota cop Derek Chauvin held a knee to his brother’s neck. “He loved it here.”

Floyd said that he came from a peaceful family and called on protesters not to damage property. “If I’m not over here wilding out, if I’m not over here blowing up stuff, if I’m not over here messing up my community, then what are y’all doing?” he asked.

“Let’s do this another way,” he urged, as cheers erupted from the crowd. “Let’s stop thinking that our voice don’t matter and vote.”

“Educate yourself and know who you’re voting for,” he continued. “And that’s how we gonna hit ‘em. Because it’s a lot of us. It’s a lot of us. It’s a lot of us.”

Floyd then led the crowd in chants of “What’s his name? George Floyd.”

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No one gets to tell Mother Jones what to publish or not publish, because no one owns our fiercely independent newsroom. But that also means we need to directly raise the resources it takes to keep our journalism alive. There’s only one way for that to happen, and it’s readers like you stepping up. Please help with a donation today if you can—even a few bucks will make a real difference. A monthly gift would be incredible.

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