George Floyd, the black man whose brutal death at the hands of police has sparked a worldwide reckoning over racial injustice, was laid to rest in a private funeral service attended by artist Jamie Foxx, actor Channing Tatum, NFL star J.J. Watt and Congressman Al Green on Tuesday.
The service for Floyd was held at the Fountain of Praise Church at 11am local time, where family and friends paid their final respects.
Following the gathering, Floyd’s body will be carried home in a horse-drawn carriage and laid to rest next to his mother at the Houston Memorial Gardens in Pearland.
On May 25, as a white Minneapolis officer pressed his knee on Floyd’s neck for an agonizing eight minutes and 46 seconds, the dying man cried out for his mother before his last breath.
About 500 guests were invited, including the families of Ahmaud Arbery, Botham Jean, and Eric Garner, to attend the ceremony by the Floyd family, the culmination of a long farewell to the man whose death has rocked America and fueled calls for police reform.
The service began with gospel music and Reverend Al Sharpton walking down the aisle with Floyd’s family’s members, all dressed in white to celebrate Floyd’s life.
George Floyd, 46, was laid to rest in his hometown of Houston today in a private ceremony attended by celebrities like Jamie Foxx, Channing Tatum and NFL star J.J. Watt. Floyd’s casket pictured being brought in at the Fountain of Praise church on Tuesday
The service for Floyd was held at the Fountain of Praise Church at 11am local time, where family and friends paid their final respects. Following the gathering, Floyd’s body will be carried home in a horse-drawn carriage and laid to rest next to his mother at the Houston Memorial Gardens in Pearland
George Floyd’s six-year-old daughter pictured holding onto her mother Roxie Washington at Floyd’s funeral Tuesday attended by Floyd’s family and friends, wrapping up five days of public memorials in Minneapolis, North Carolina and Houston
George Floyd’s brother Philonise dropped his head into his hands upon pausing at his brother’s casket Tuesday
About 500 guests were invited by the Floyd family, including political leaders and celebrities like actors Channing Tatum (back left) and Jamie Foxx (right) to the service on Tuesday. Even as the funeral was private hundreds gathered outside the chapel to watch from afar
Singer and social activist Jamie Foxx was seen pausing the casket of George Floyd at the start of Tuesday’s service, wearing a face mask bearing Floyd’s name
Houston Texans NFL star J. J. Watt had a moment of silence before Floyd’s casket on Tuesday at the emotional service
Feorge Floyd, 46 died on May 25 after a white Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee into the back of his neck for eight minutes and 46 seconds in a horrific video that sparked protests across the country
Organizers have said that attendees include Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, Rev. Al Sharpton, Attorney Benjamin Crump, Slim Thug, Leela James, Paul Wall, Floyd Mayweather, Congressman Al Green and Bishop James Dixon, according to KHOU11.
Rev. Sharpton will deliver the eulogy and Dr. Remus E. Wright and Pastor Mia K. Wright of the Fountain of Praise will deliver the life celebration salutation. Attorney Ben Crump is also slated to share remarks at the service.
The funeral card for George Floyd’s funeral pictured above
Houston Texans football player JJ Watt, chairman and chief executive officer of the Houston Texans Cal McNair, and Cincinnati Bengals star DJ Reader were seen at the funeral.
Presumptive democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden shared a moving video message at the service where he declared, ‘Now is the time for racial justice’.
‘To George’s family and friends: Jill and I know the deep hole in your hearts when you bury a piece of your soul deep in this Earth. As I said to you privately, we know you will never feel again.
‘To George’s children and grandchild: I know you miss your dad and granddad. To Gianna, as I said to you when I saw you yesterday you’re so brave, daddy’s looking down and he’s so proud of you…I know you have a lot of questions, honey. No child should have to ask the question that too many black children have had to ask – why? Why is daddy gone?
‘Why in this nation do too many black Americans wake up knowing they could lose their life in the course of just living their life.
‘Now is the time for racial justice. That’s the answer we must give to our children when they ask why. Because when there’s justice for George Floyd we will truly be on the way to racial justice in America. Then as you said Gianna, your daddy will have changed the world.’
Presidential hopeful Joe Biden shared a moving video message at the service where he declared, ‘Now is the time for racial justice’
‘To George’s family and friends: Jill and I know the deep hole in your hearts when you bury a piece of your soul deep in this Earth. As I said to you privately, we know you will never feel again,’ Biden said in the video recorded message
Rep. Al Green, D-Texas speaks as family and guests attend the funeral service for George Floyd at The Fountain of Praise church saying: ‘George Floyd was not expendable. This is why we’re here’
At the start of Tuesday’s service Revered Dr. Mary White opened with a prayer, referencing Floyd’s cry for his mother as he struggled under the knee of White Minneapolis cop Derek Chauvin
Rodney Floyd puts an arm around his brother Philonise Floyd as they listen to the song ‘Oh, How Precious’ during the funeral
Rev. Al Sharpton, who will deliver the eulogy, entered the Fountain of Praise church in white followed by Floyd’s family members
Rev. Sharpton pictured speaking with Quincy Mason Floyd, the son of George Floyd, before the start of the funeral
Floyd’s family and friends entered the church wearing white following Rev. Al Sharpton into the service
A view inside the Fountain of Praise chapel at the start of the ceremony on Tuesday
The service opened with gospel music as mourners trickled into the chapel to celebrate Floyd’s life on Tuesday
Rev. Al Sharpton, right, sits with the family of George Floyd near the casket of Floyd during the funeral service
Zsa Zsa Floyd, George Floyd’s sister, raises her hand and places a hand to her heart at the start of the service
Terrance Floyd, brother of George Floyd, pictured arriving to the funeral wearing a face mask with his brother’s name on it
Philonise Floyd, George Floyd’s brother, pauses at his casket to pay his respects at the Houston funeral
At the start of Tuesday’s service Revered Dr. Mary White opened with a prayer, referencing Floyd’s cry for his mother as he struggled under the knee of White Minneapolis cop Derek Chauvin.
‘We thank you for the life of George Floyd, oh God. That at a moment he called out for his mama, we believe that the ears of mamas across this nation reared up. That the ears of mamas across this world heard him cry even though for one mama, all mamas began to wail. We began to wail for our children. We began to wail for our grandchildren. We wail for men across this world because of one mama’s call,’ she prayed.
At the funeral it was announced that the President of Ghana would permanently mount George Floyd’s name on a wall at the Diaspora African Forum in the W.E.B. Du Bois Center in Ghana.
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner spoke before the attendees at the funeral saying the city attorney is drafting an executive order that bans chokehold in the city of Houston. He says he’ll sign that order immediately when he returns to City Hall.
He also proclaimed June to hereby be celebrated as ‘George Perry Floyd Day’.
Family members of Floyd and close friends then took to the stage to share stories about Floyd.
His niece Brooke Williams, who called him Perry, shared a powerful declaration saying: ‘As long as I’m breathing, justice will be served for Perry.’
Security at the funeral was supplied by the brothers with the Nation of Islam and the Houston police department.
Congressman Al Green pictured wearing a mask and gloves arriving to the funeral at the Fountain of Praise church in Houston
Mourners break down in tears at the casket of Floyd as his extended family enters the chapel on Tuesday
Loved ones were overcome with emotion upon reaching Floyd’s casket and sharing their goodbyes at the service
Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez takes a knee before Floyd’s casket and bows his head to pay his respects at the service
Mourners pictured sharing a moment of silence at Floyd’s casket at the start of the moving funeral service
Members of the Texas Southern University Police Department pause at the casket bearing the remains of George Floyd in the chapel on Tuesday playing their hands to their hearts
Harris County District Attorney Kimm Ogg closed her eyes and paused for a moment at the casket of George Floyd on Tuesday
The first mourners trickled into the chapel and paid their respects at Floyd’s casket Tuesday morning
Paying respects: Police officers with the Texas Southern University police saluted the casket of George Floyd as he was brought into the Fountain of Praise Church on Tuesday
Never forgotten: Texas Southern University police officers saluted Floyd’s casket as it was brought in the for the funeral
City officials closed the streets within a mile of the cemetery, but supporters can still watch the procession.
On Tuesday morning Minnesota Governor Tim Walz announced a shared moment of silence for his constituents in honor of Floyd saying: ‘In honor of the funeral for George Floyd, we ask all Minnesotans to spend 8 minutes and 46 seconds in silence at 11am this morning.’
As of Tuesday morning, fences were placed along Cullen Boulevard to allow people to pay their respect to Floyd. While city officials say they do not know how many people will arrive, they are prepared for a massive crowd.
On Monday more than 6,300 people attended his public viewing ceremony Monday at Fountain of Praise church including political leaders Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson and others.
The funeral services comes after five days of public memorials in Minneapolis, North Carolina and Houston.
On Monday, under a blazing Texas sun, mourners wearing T-shirts with Floyd’s picture or the words ‘I Can’t Breathe’ – one of the other things he cried out repeatedly while pinned down by the police officer – waited for hours to pay their respects.
Floyd’s body, dressed in a brown suit, lay in an open gold-colored casket. Shortly after the memorial ended, Floyd’s casket was placed in a hearse and escorted by police back to a funeral home.
As the hearse drove away, 39-year-old Daniel Osarobo, a Houston resident who immigrated from Nigeria, could be heard saying, ‘Rest in power. Rest In Peace.’
‘I’ve been stopped by police. I understand the situation. I can only imagine,’ Osarobo, who works as an engineer in the oil and gas industry said. ‘What if it was me? What if it was my brother? What if it was my sister? What if it was my son?’
Those were questions many black Americans have asked not just in recent weeks, but for decades.
Floyd’s death sparked international protests and drew new attention to the treatment of African Americans in the U.S. by police and the criminal justice system.
In the past two weeks, sweeping and previously unthinkable things have taken place: Confederate statues have been toppled, police departments around America have rethought the way they patrol minority neighborhoods, legislatures have debated use-of-force policies, and white, black and brown people have had uncomfortable, sometimes heated, discussions about race in a nation that is supposed to ensure equal opportunity for all.
Calls for ‘defunding the police’ have cropped up in many communities, and people around the world have taken to the streets in solidarity, saying that reforms and dialogue must not stop with Floyd’s funeral.
Floyd’s casket seen being placed in the chapel as bystander’s watch on at Tuesday’s funeral service
His gold casket pictured being set up for the funeral service at the Fountain of Praise Church service. On Monday more than 6,300 people attended his public viewing ceremony Monday at Fountain of Praise church including political leaders Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson and others
Floyd’s gold casket pictured being set up ahead of the funeral on Tuesday in Houston, Texas
Floyd’s casket pictured being delicately polished ahead of the funeral, the culmination of a long farewell to the 46-year-old whose death has changed America
The hearse carrying the coffin pictured when it first arrived to the church for Floyd’a funeral service on Tuesday
His death has also reshaped the presidential race. To be re-elected, President Donald Trump must rebound from one of the lowest points of his presidency, with recent polls showing that 8 in 10 Americans believe the country is headed in the wrong direction and even spiraling out of control. The president got a boost late last week with a better-than-expected jobs report, but he’s struggling to show consistent leadership on multiple fronts, including the nationwide protests against police brutality.
Meanwhile, former Vice President Joe Biden met with Floyd’s family Monday, according to a photo posted on Twitter by the Rev. Al Sharpton. Biden will provide a video message for Floyd’s funeral service.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott also met privately with Floyd’s family on Monday, according to the Texas Tribune.
Hundreds of people gathered on the path outside the chapel to watch the funeral from afar. A member of the New Black Panthers yells as he confronts a mourner during Tuesday’s funeral
Members of the New Black Panther Party pictured attending the funeral for George Floyd, standing outside of the chapel
On Monday Abbott raised the idea of starting a George Floyd Act saying, ‘I’m here to tell you today that I am committed to working with the family of George Floyd, to ensure we never have anything like this ever occur in the state of Texas.’
The memorials have drawn the families of black victims in other high-profile killings whose names have become seared into America’s conversations on race – among them Eric Garner, Michael Brown, Ahmaud Arbery and Trayvon Martin.
‘It just hurts,’ Philonise Floyd, George Floyd’s brother, said sobbing as he ticked off some of their names outside The Fountain of Praise church. ‘We will get justice. We will get it. We will not let this door close.’