Join Robert Samuels, a National Political Reporter at The Washington Post and co-author of 'His Name is George Floyd', alongside Clyde McGrady, a National Correspondent at The New York Times. They reflect on the five-year mark since George Floyd’s murder, exploring the lasting societal changes and the racial reckoning that followed. Samuels questions whether the backlash against progress overshadows the gains made. They discuss the emotional legacy of Floyd’s story and the ongoing struggles within the racial justice movement.
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Learning George Floyd's Humanity
Robert Samuels learned about George Floyd by interviewing his family and friends, painting a fuller picture beyond the headline name.
Floyd's resilience and American spirit deserved more grace than he received, highlighting his humanity.
insights INSIGHT
Power of Floyd Bystander Video
The bystander video of Floyd's murder amplified the harsh reality of systemic racism through expert narrators present at the scene.
This real-time testimony strengthened global awareness of police brutality against Black communities.
insights INSIGHT
Hope and Complexities of Protests
The multiracial unity and protests after Floyd's death felt like a historic moment of potential progress on racial justice.
Yet the later erasure of Black Lives Matter signs reflected the complexities and resistance still present.
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This book tells the story of George Floyd, a beloved figure from Houston's housing projects, as he faced the systemic pressures of being a Black man in America. It examines his family roots in slavery and sharecropping, the segregation of his schools, the overpolicing of his community, and the callous disregard toward his struggle with addiction. Drawing upon hundreds of interviews with Floyd's closest friends and family, his elementary school teachers, varsity coaches, civil rights icons, and those in the highest seats of political power, the authors offer a poignant and moving exploration of George Floyd’s America, revealing how his tragic experience brought about a global movement for change.
Between the World and Me
Ta-Nehisi Coates
Between the World and Me is a personal and literary exploration of America's racial history. Written as a series of letters to his 15-year-old son, Samori, Ta-Nehisi Coates reflects on his own experiences growing up in Baltimore, his education at Howard University, and his career as a journalist. The book delves into the realities of being Black in America, including the historical and ongoing impacts of slavery, segregation, police brutality, and mass incarceration. Coates shares personal anecdotes and historical insights to prepare his son for the challenges he will face as a Black man in America, while also offering a broader critique of American society and its treatment of Black bodies. The book is a powerful and emotional exploration of identity, history, and the struggle for racial justice[2][3][4].
We remember George Floyd, five years after his murder by a Minneapolis police officer. In the days and months after Floyd’s death, millions of Americans took to the streets to protest racism and police violence, ushering in a new era of racial reckoning. Robert Samuels, co-author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning biography “His Name is George Floyd,” wonders however if “the backlash feels more enduring that the reckoning itself.” We’ll talk about who George Floyd was and where the struggle for racial justice is headed.
Guests:
Robert Samuels, national political enterprise reporter, The Washington Post - co-author, "His Name is George Floyd: One Man's Life and them Struggle for Racial Justice"
Clyde McGrady, national correspondent covering race, The New York Times
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