25 George Floyd Quotes About Police Brutality

To learn more about George Floyd’s death at the hands of police and how it made people feel, read these George Floyd quotes.

George Perry Floyd Jr. was born in Fayetteville, North Carolina in 1973.

He died from police brutality in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 2020 at the age of 46.

Floyd was an African-American man best known for the nationwide outrage after his murder by a white police officer named Derek Chauvin.

As Floyd was dying, he uttered the words, “I can’t breathe,” but it was too late as Officer Chauvin knelt on Floyd’s neck for nine minutes and twenty-nine seconds.

The altercation started when Floyd was arrested after a store clerk suspected he used a counterfeit bill.

Take a look at these George Floyd quotes to learn more about him and his tragic death.

George Floyd Quotes to Bring Change

Check out these quotes about bringing change.

1. “Daddy changed the world.” — Gianna Floyd

2. “He was basically lynched in plain sight.” — Van Jones

3. “His death won’t be in vain. George Floyd is going to be the name of change.” — Stephen Jackson

4. “The time for change is now. Change in the name of George Floyd.” — Kamala Harris

5. “It’s not enough to be non-racist; we must be anti-racist.” — Angela Davis

6. “Black love lives in the middle of all this hate.” — Qwana M. Reynolds-Frasier

7. “George Floyd’s pleas awakened this world that has been rendered comatose by fear of contagion, and all of a sudden, nothing mattered but justice.” — Aysha Taryam

8. “Goerge Floyd’s death has been a catalyst for a reckoning on racial injustice and police brutality in America.” — Kamala Harris

9. “The death of George Floyd is a tragedy. It has rightly shocked people not just in America, but around the world.” — Boris Johnson

10. “It’s so very, very sad because the American people saw an execution, a murder, right before our very eyes. It wasn’t self-defense. There has to be justice in that case.” — Nancy Pelosi

George Floyd Quotes Showing Different Perspectives

These George Floyd quotes show different perspectives.

11. “I’m not a mother, but when George Floyd called out for his Mama, I heard him.” — Charmaine J. Forde

12. “George Floyd was not just a man who died at the hands of the police. He was a symbol of the struggle for justice and equality in America.” — Angela Davis

13. “It is not only my heart that is heavy-laden, but the hearts and minds of so many who have been burdened by the tragedies, bloodshed, and woes of our time.” — Asa Don Brown

14. “The fight for justice for George Floyd is not just about one man. It’s about an entire system that is rigged against people of color.” — Tamika Mallory

15. “We need to invest in programs that support mental health, education, and community building, rather than just hiring more police officers.” — Patrisse Cullors

16. “Let our stand be together, shoulder to shoulder, hold hands with every human of every color because together we rise and we shall stand with justice and power forever so we can breathe in peace.” — F.M. Sogamiah

17. “George Floyd’s death may have compelled you to post a black image on your social media accounts but what it should really have done is made you question yourself and find within you those dark places where intolerance might be hiding for who among us can stand tall and proclaim that they have never been prejudiced towards a certain ethnicity, gender, color or faith?” — Aysha Taryam

Racism and George Floyd Quotes to Reflect On

These quotes will give you something to reflect on.

18. “It is never too late to give up your prejudices.” — Henry David Thoreau

19. “Prejudice is a burden that confuses the past, threatens the future, and renders the present inaccessible.” — Maya Angelou

20. “To bring about change, you must not be afraid to take the first step. We will fail when we fail to try.” — Rosa Parks

21. “Our ability to reach unity in diversity will be the beauty and the test of our civilization.” — Mahatma Gandhi

22. “People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.” — Nelson Mandela

23. “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” — Martin Luther King, Jr.

24. “An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.” — Martin Luther King Jr.

25. “George Floyd’s death was a tragedy, but his life and his legacy will continue to inspire us to fight for a better world.” — Tarana Burke

George Floyd’s Life

Floyd had four siblings and was the first of his family to go to college after excelling in sports during high school.

After college, Floyd had a short stint as a rapper before he started getting into trouble with the law and ended up spending five years in prison.

After prison, Floyd made an effort to turn his life around by mentoring young men, delivering meals, and working on other projects.

Please share these George Floyd quotes with your friends and family and post any comments about Floyd in the comment section below.