Memorial vigil planned in State College for 1-year anniversary of George Floyd death
As an important anniversary nears, the 3/20 Coalition is organizing an event for the community to “grieve, reflect and connect” on the Black Lives Matter movement and where it’s headed.
Exactly one year after the death of George Floyd, a Black man killed by Minneapolis police, the 3/20 Coalition will hold a George Floyd Memorial Community Vigil for Black Lives. The event is scheduled to take place 6:30 p.m. Tuesday — the day of the anniversary — at State College’s Sidney Friedman Park.
According to a news release from the organization, the event will feature discussion, a candlelight vigil, a healing drum circle and a silent march. A memorial will also be set up for all Black lives lost, and community members are encouraged to bring candles, stuffed animals, pictures, drawings and other artwork to contribute to it.
“Until all Black lives matter, we must press on,” the organization said in a written statement.
On May 25, 2020, Floyd died after managing “I can’t breathe” as a police officer knelt on his neck for 9 minutes and 29 seconds. (That officer, Derek Chauvin, was found guilty last month of all three counts of murder and manslaughter. He has not yet been sentenced.) Floyd’s death sparked nationwide protests and rallies, including in downtown State College.
The 3/20 Coalition was started a year before Floyd’s death, when State College resident Osaze Osagie was killed by local police while being served a mental health warrant on March 20, 2019. The county’s top prosecutor cleared police, who said Osagie charged them with a knife. In a lawsuit filed by Osagie’s family, new allegations were raised earlier this year that the officer who pulled the trigger was unfit for duty and was only days removed from rehab at the time of the shooting.
In response to Floyd, Osagie, and others, the borough has introduced a number of reforms — such as the development of a Community Oversight Board, which is slated for creation by October. But, the 3/20 Coalition noted, a step forward doesn’t equate to a mission accomplished.
“We are creating a special and sacred community space to collectively grieve, reflect and connect as part of the reparative work of cultivating community,” the organization added. “One year after George Floyd was taken from his family and community, we pause to reflect on the past year, the movement for Black Lives and where we collectively go from here.”
