When protesters took to the streets after George Floyd was murdered by Minneapolis police in 2020, they created a patchwork of cardboard signs, left handwritten messages and painted plywood murals on boarded-up storefronts. Artist and activist Leesa Kelly began collecting those expressions of grief and resistance to create a living archive. She knew these artworks would carry Floyd’s legacy, preserving his memory long after the protests had ended. 

“It was a trauma response,” Kelly said. “We were in the middle of the uprising, and the murals that inspired me and so many others were coming down. I didn’t want to see them come down.”

In 2020, Kelly founded Memorialize the Movement, an initiative that has since preserved more than 1,000 plywood murals from the protests. 

“At every point in the uprising, art gave us the energy and drive to move forward towards justice for George Floyd,” Kelly said. “The movement wouldn’t exist without the art that was created. That’s why it’s so important to preserve this history.”

As the fifth anniversary of Floyd’s death approaches on May 25, Memorialize the Movement will host its annual “Justice for George” event, featuring musical performances, local art vendors and live mural-making, all centered around the theme of “radical joy.”

“People move on so quickly from things,” said Amira McLendon, the current collections manager at Memorialize the Movement. “Especially something that happened so close to home. It was just radio silence not even two years later… So, thinking about ‘Justice for George,’ that was still something on my mind.”

As they planned the programming, McLendon and Kelly wrestled with how to honor the pain and resilience of 2020. Should they lean into the rage of the moment, or focus on joy?

“We ended up going back and forth for a while,” McLendon said. “But then we decided that they’re two sides of the same coin. Both things can exist at the same time.”

Across Minneapolis and St. Paul, festivals, a vigil and an art exhibit will offer space to remember George Floyd and the movement that followed. Here’s a guide to the commemorations:

Justice For George: Commemorate, Cultivate, Celebrate

Spanning five days and multiple locations across Minneapolis, “Justice for George” brings together 20 emerging and established muralists to interpret the theme of radical joy through live painting. More than 70% of participating artists identify as queer, and all are Black or brown. 

“We’ve been really intentional about creating a platform where Black, brown and queer artists can express themselves authentically,” Kelly said. 

The full five-day schedule will roll out soon, but the celebration will feature arts vendors and community resource tables led by Black and brown artists and organizations, free massages by Black wellness practitioners, and live music and dance performances from Indigenous dance collective Kalpulli KetzalCoatlicue and West African dance collective Afro Contigbo. 

Volunteers are still needed to help set up for the main event on May 24 and May 25. Interested in getting involved? Sign up here. 

The Plywood Quilt: Community Exhibition 

At St. Catherine University’s gallery, more than 250 hand-painted plywood panels will tell the story of a community in healing. Created during Memorialize the Movement’s monthly “Paint to Express” workshops, which began in 2022, the 12-by-12 inch panels explore themes of grief, resilience and cultural identity. 

“They were all made by different people at different times, except for one category, which was almost exclusively made by me,” Kelly said. “It’s just really cool to see how people who come from totally different backgrounds, different parts of the city, different age ranges, are all expressing the same feelings.”

Blank panels have been intentionally left within the quilt, inviting visitors to add their own voices to the evolving work.

Rise and Remember Festival

Organized by the George Floyd Memorial, the festival brings art, performance and collective reflection back to George Floyd Square. 

Highlights include a ticketed “Night of Honor” gala from 6 to 8 p.m. on Friday, followed by a sneaker ball concert (a party where wearing sneakers are encouraged) from 9 p.m. to midnight. The community festival on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. will feature live music, gospel choirs, a kids zone, vendors, and a self-care fair. The festival will culminate in a candlelight vigil at 8 p.m. on Sunday.

Race & Equity Series 

The Minnesota State Bar Association is hosting a three-part live webinar series that explores the ongoing impact of George Floyd’s murder and the Minneapolis uprising on the legal system. The series focuses on efforts to rebuild trust and improve access to justice for communities of color, taking place on three consecutive Mondays leading up to the anniversary.

The first session, “Remembrance & Recollections from the Bench: The Derek Chauvin Trial,” will be held on Monday, May 5. It will feature judges and prosecutors from the 2021 trial of Derek Chauvin, who will discuss the conviction and its long-lasting impact on the community.

On Monday, May 12, the second session, “George Floyd’s Death: 5 Years of Rebuilding Trust & Access in the Justice System” will bring together leaders working to advance diversity, equity and inclusion in both the legal field and broader community initiatives. The panel will reflect on the progress made over the last five years and the work that remains.

The final session, “Impact of George Floyd’s Death on Black Attorneys: How Far Have We Come?” will take place on Monday, May 19. It will address the challenges and progress Black attorneys have experienced since George Floyd’s murder, as well as ongoing efforts to support Black, Indigenous and people of color in the legal profession.

Share your story

The city of Minneapolis is partnering with StoryCorps Studios to invite residents to share personal stories about the murder of Floyd, the uprisings that followed and the city’s efforts toward racial justice. Participants can record a 40-minute conversation online or in person with a partner of their choice at the StoryCorps booth in Powderhorn Park. Suggested conversation questions are available here. Select recordings will be shared during a future community listening session and preserved in the Library of Congress. 

612: Darkness in the Land of Nice

A new documentary “612: Darkness in the Land of Nice” will premiere May 23, the day before the fifth anniversary of Floyd’s death. The film explores Minneapolis’ reputation for “Minnesota nice” and the 2020 uprisings that challenged it.

Written and directed by north Minneapolis native Diem Van Groth, “612” follows how young people in the Twin Cities helped spark a global movement for racial justice in the wake of Floyd’s murder. It includes protest footage, interviews and reflections from young Black and brown organizers, as well as local leaders. 

The documentary also highlights four Minnesota-based initiatives born in the aftermath: ReConnect Rondo’s land bridge vision, the V3 Sports hub in north Minneapolis, the Page Education Foundation and Black Men Teach. 

The world premiere will take place at Justice Page Middle School in south Minneapolis, a site that became a hub for protest and mutual aid in 2020. A panel discussion will follow, featuring former Minnesota Supreme Court Justice Alan Page, ReConnect Rondo Chair Marvin Anderson, V3 Sports Founding Director Erika L. Binger, and Executive Director of Black Men Teach Markus Flynn. 

Ride to Remember

Slow Roll MSP and the Cultural Wellness Center are leading a bike ride and audio tour covering the geography and events of 2020.

The bike tour begins at the Midtown Greenway and includes George Floyd Square, Powderhorn Park, the former Third Precinct, and the site of a Wells Fargo branch on Nicollet Avenue.

An audio tour, “Voices 2020,” will engage riders at four of the locations. The audio was gathered by Midtown Exchange resident Carla Goodwin and several collaborators. It includes interviews with East African business owners, a neighborhood defense group, and organizers from George Floyd Square, Black Lives Matter and the Ninth Ward. 

The conversationally paced ride will end with a community dinner and conversation. Bicycles are available for those who need them.

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