“When you read the transcripts of George Floyd’s last words, it brings you to tears. It’s one thing to see the video, but when you actually read the words … it shook me to my core and I just don’t want people to forget this brother and forget what happened with this incident,” says Michael Johnson, CEO of the Boys and Girls Club of Dane County.
About a month ago Johnson challenged the community to find a place project Floyd’s last words, like has been done in other cities in the United States, and the Wisconsin Union called and said they would do it. As a result, George Floyd’s very last words will be scrolling on a theater wing wall of the Memorial Union tonight as part of a special event from 7-9 p.m. hosted by the student-led Wisconsin Union Directorate (WUD) Art Committee.
The display’s debut will include brief remarks by Natalia Lugovskaya, the WUD Art Committee director, and Johnson.
“I’m thankful that the university responded so quickly. I think doing this at UW and the Memorial Union is appropriate,” Johnson tells Madison365.
Johnson has invited the Black Men Coalition of Dane County, which was recently founded by Corey Marionneaux, to come out there with him.
“We will be launching those words. I was inspired by what I saw another community do. When you sit back and you listen for how George Floyd pleaded for his life, we wanted there to be a reminder that this is something that America should never forget,” Johnson says. “As a result of that, we formed and founded the Black Men Coalition of Dane County, led by Corey Marionneaux, and you will see Black men out there tonight with university officials to let our community know that Black men and women are traumatized by the death of George Floyd and his words and life mattered and this country should never, ever forget what happened in Minneapolis.”
https://www.facebook.com/1546699946/videos/10216402654089383
Across the United States, activists and artists have responded to the death of George Floyd with protests and creative artwork and messages like on the side of the World Trade Center in downtown Portland (above). The WUD Art Committee is asking that those who visit the display at Memorial Union practice physical distancing and wear a mask or another form of face covering. Johnson says that he is hoping for a good turnout at the event tonight.
“It’s a way for us to memorialize George Floyd and it’s also a way to remind people that police brutality is unacceptable and that his life mattered and that Black lives matter,” Johnson says. “We need to be reminded that as a nation we have to do better and we have to protect the lives of Black people at all expenses.
“When I saw how he was killed, it was one thing. But when I read the words and read the number of times he pleaded for his life, it shook me to my core,” Johnson adds. “I’m thankful that the University is responding to it. Let this be a reminder that his life mattered and we should never, ever forget what happened to Mr. Floyd and hopefully our actions will speak louder than our words across this country.”
