George Floyd: What to know

George Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man, died in May 2020 while being restrained by Minneapolis police, setting off worldwide protests and a racial reckoning in the United States. 

Floyd's 46 years on Earth had their share of hardships, as he grew up in poverty and had multiple run-ins with law enforcement, but he is also remembered as a mentor who looked out for his loved ones and became a church outreach volunteer in Houston after a stint in prison.  "He was teaching us how to be a man because he was in this world before us. He gave us a lot of great lessons," Rodney Floyd, George Floyd’s youngest brother, said at a memorial service. "I want you guys to know that he would stand up against any injustice anywhere."