George Floyd Square: A Symbol of Resistance and Healing, Yet Struggling with Development and Momentum

Minneapolis, Minnesota United States of America
George Floyd Square is a symbol of resistance and healing where people gather daily for protest and reflection.
Minneapolis City Council Member Andrea Jenkins has made strides towards meeting some demands such as creating a new Public Safety Center and implementing behavioral Crisis Response Teams.
Neighbors held a 'We March because We Care' event in Syracuse in memory of George Floyd on May 25, 2023.
Progress towards racial justice has been slow in some areas, with questions about whether the movement has lost momentum.
The book 'His Name Is George Floyd' examines institutional racism in Floyd's life and legacy.
The community demands 24 changes from the city including ending qualified immunity and removing certain officials.
There is a lack of notable revitalization at George Floyd Square with businesses struggling to thrive due to the delay in permanent development which won't begin until 2025.
George Floyd Square: A Symbol of Resistance and Healing, Yet Struggling with Development and Momentum

Four years have passed since the tragic death of George Floyd at the intersection of 38th Street and Chicago Avenue in South Minneapolis on May 25, 2020. The event sparked nationwide protests against police brutality and institutional racism. Today, George Floyd Square stands as a symbol of resistance and healing.

People gather daily at the square for protest and reflection. Brass Solidarity, a group committed to justice and Black liberation, performs weekly at the site. Healing is a common thread among those who attend.

George Floyd Square is believed to be the longest ongoing protest in America with people meeting there every day. The community demands 24 changes from the city which include ending qualified immunity and removing certain officials, some of which have been met but not all.

Minneapolis City Council Member Andrea Jenkins has made strides towards meeting some of the demands, including creating a new Public Safety Center and implementing behavioral Crisis Response Teams. The city is currently seeking community input on the future of George Floyd Square and racial healing efforts.

Meanwhile, in other parts of the country, progress towards racial justice has been slow. Some question whether the movement has lost its momentum.

The book 'His Name Is George Floyd' by Robert Samuels and Toluse Olorunnipa examines institutional racism in Floyd's life and legacy. The authors reflect on the retrenchment of the racial-justice movement sparked by his death.

In Syracuse, neighbors held a 'We March because We Care' event in memory of George Floyd on May 25, 2023. Bishop H. Bernard Alex and the Syracuse chapter of the National Action Network hosted the march.

Despite progress in some areas, there is still a lack of notable revitalization at George Floyd Square in Minneapolis. Director of communications for nearby business Agape Movement, Bridgette Stewart, expressed disappointment about the community being overlooked and underserved. The city said permanent development on George Floyd Square won't begin until 2025.

The delay in development has left businesses struggling to thrive. White concrete barricades still sit where parking spots would be on Chicago Avenue, making it difficult for coffee shop owners to attract customers. Homeless people continue to gather at the site, creating challenges for the community.

As of its latest timeline, the City of Minneapolis said permanent development on George Floyd Square won't begin until 2025.



Confidence

85%

Doubts
  • I should verify the specific demands made by the community and their current status.
  • The article states that George Floyd Square is the longest ongoing protest in America. I need to fact-check this claim.

Sources

98%

  • Unique Points
    • George Floyd was murdered at the intersection of 38th Street and Chicago Avenue in South Minneapolis on May 25, 2020.
    • People gather at George Floyd Square daily for protest and healing.
    • Brass Solidarity, a group committed to being a voice for justice and Black liberation, performs weekly at the square.
    • Healing is a common thread for people who gather at the square.
    • George Floyd Square is believed to be the longest ongoing protest in America with people meeting there every day.
    • The community demands 24 changes from the city which include ending qualified immunity and removing certain officials, some of which have been met but not all.
    • Minneapolis City Council Member Andrea Jenkins has made strides towards meeting some of the demands, including creating a new Public Safety Center and implementing behavioral Crisis Response Teams.
    • The city is currently seeking community input on the future of George Floyd Square and racial healing efforts.
  • Accuracy
    • The community demands 24 changes from the city which include ending qualified immunity and removing certain officials.
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

92%

  • Unique Points
    • Syracuse neighbors held a ‘We March because We Care’ event in memory of George Floyd on May 25, 2023.
    • Bishop H. Bernard Alex and the Syracuse chapter of the National Action Network hosted the march in Syracuse.
  • Accuracy
    • ][article.facts[1]] George Floyd was killed by Minneapolis police officer Derrick Chauvin on May 25, 2019.[/]
    • ][otherArticles[0].facts[1]] George Floyd was murdered at the intersection of 38th Street and Chicago Avenue in South Minneapolis on May 25, 2020.[
    • ][article.facts[3]] Three other Minneapolis officers involved were convicted of violating Floyd’s civil rights.[
    • ][otherArticles[1].facts[6]] The community demands 24 changes from the city which include ending qualified immunity and removing certain officials, some of which have been met but not all.[
    • ][article.facts[7]] Derrick Chauvin was sentenced to 22.5 years in prison for Second and Third Degree Murder and Second Degree Manslaughter in Floyd’s death.[
    • ][otherArticles[1].facts[8]] Minneapolis City Council Member Andrea Jenkins has made strides towards meeting some of the demands, including creating a new Public Safety Center and implementing behavioral Crisis Response Teams.[
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

84%

  • Unique Points
    • Director of communications for nearby business Agape Movement, Bridgette Stewart, expressed disappointment about the community being overlooked and underserved.
    • City said permanent development on George Floyd Square won’t begin until 2025.
  • Accuracy
    • The area is known as ‘Mourning Passage.’
    • Four years later, there has been a lack of notable revitalization at George Floyd Square.
    • White concrete barricades still sit where parking spots would be on Chicago Avenue.
    • Former Speedway gas station at the intersection was bought by the city in 2023 with intention of creating a public space for racial justice and healing but remains closed.
  • Deception (70%)
    The article contains selective reporting and emotional manipulation. The author focuses on the lack of revitalization at George Floyd Square while ignoring the progress made in other areas nearby. She also uses emotive language to elicit sympathy from readers, such as 'disappointing', 'overlooked and underserved', and 'suffered enough'.
    • Every year in the place where George Floyd was killed... volunteers re-paint his name among a list of people of color who also died at the hands of police across the U.S.' (Selective reporting), 'It's disappointing because this was always an underserved community as it was.' (Emotional manipulation), 'We are, every day, having to say to homeless people, “Hey, you can’t... we can’t have a homeless encampment here. We can’t keep picking up needles.”' (Emotional manipulation)
  • Fallacies (80%)
    The author makes an appeal to emotion by describing the lack of revitalization at George Floyd Square as 'disappointing' and 'not right'. She also uses inflammatory rhetoric when referring to the abandoned building as a 'nuisance'.
    • “It’s disappointing because this was always an underserved community as it was,”
    • “And so, this community is still being overlooked and underserved.”
    • “We are, every day, having to say to homeless people, ‘Hey, you can’t — we can’t have a homeless encampment here. We can’t keep picking up needles,} she continued.
    • “It’s not fair to us. We have suffered enough in this community.”
  • Bias (95%)
    The author expresses disappointment and frustration towards the lack of revitalization at George Floyd Square, repeatedly mentioning the lack of progress and the hardships faced by businesses in the area. While this is not inherently biased, it does create a negative tone that may sway readers towards feeling sympathetic to the cause and potentially against those responsible for the delay in development.
    • And so, this community is still being overlooked and underserved.
      • It's disappointing because this was always an underserved community as it was.
        • We are, every day, having to say to homeless people, ‘Hey, you can’t … we can’t have a homeless encampment here. We can’t keep picking up needles.’
          • Why right here – where George Floyd died – why is it not?
          • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
            None Found At Time Of Publication
          • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
            None Found At Time Of Publication

          95%

          • Unique Points
            • The book 'His Name Is George Floyd' by Robert Samuels and Toluse Olorunnipa examines institutional racism in the life and legacy of George Floyd.
          • Accuracy
            • Four years have passed since George Floyd’s death.
            • The authors reflect on the retrenchment of the racial-justice movement following George Floyd’s death.
          • Deception (100%)
            None Found At Time Of Publication
          • Fallacies (100%)
            None Found At Time Of Publication
          • Bias (100%)
            None Found At Time Of Publication
          • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
            None Found At Time Of Publication
          • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
            None Found At Time Of Publication