“He would call me and say, ‘What's up, auntie? Just calling to check on you,’ ” Harrelson said. “And it made me feel so good.”
Harrelson affectionately refers to her nephew by his middle name, Perry, but the world knows him as George Floyd.
In 2020, millions watched in horror as former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin pinned Floyd beneath his knee for 9 minutes and 29 seconds. The murder sparked a massive outpouring of grief and anger as protesters took to the streets with handcrafted signs echoing some of his last words, "I can't breathe." Amid violent clashes with police, they pressed on. Artists adorned their cities with his image, a sign of resolve and the impact of his death.
The intersection where Floyd took his last breaths was transformed from a gas station and corner store into a living memorial. Now that the chaos and media frenzy have settled, Harrelson visits the area − known as George Floyd Square − several times a week.