Solemn Strikes: Resources for Remembering George Floyd
Dear Friends and Members of Lake Street Church,
Today at 11AM central, the memorial service for George Floyd was held in Houston at Fountain of Praise Church. I want to give you a link to the services so that you can see for yourself the remarkable resilience and solidarity shown by not only George Floyd’s family, but the families of Trayvon Martin, Eric Garner, Botham Jean, Pamela Turner, Michael Brown, and Ahmaud Arbery. In the service, we got to hear about someone who was so much more than the way he died. Beloved as “Superman” by his brothers, George Floyd will be missed by those who knew him. I was particularly moved by Floyd’s niece, Brooklyn Williams, who put it simply: “America, it is time for a change.”
Acting on a suggestion from Director of Youth Programming, Amber Naylor, Lake Street Church of Evanston also added its mourning to the pain expressed by those gathered in Houston. At precisely 11AM this morning, I climbed into the belfry and rang our bell for 8 minutes and 46 seconds, the length of time that a police officer had his knee on George Floyd’s neck, murdering him. You can listen to a recording of our bell ringing in mourning here. I encourage you to listen to all of it, so that you can appreciate the full length of time that Floyd was subject to state-sanctioned violence. May it be a solemn meditation for you.