Fifteen days after 46-year-old George Floyd died in police custody, his family and friends laid him to rest in his hometown of Houston. The service was attended by a number of members of Congress as well as civil rights leaders like the Reverend Al Sharpton, and former Vice President Joe Biden spoke via a video message.
In his remarks, Biden began by speaking to Floyd’s family, saying, “Like so many others, I have watched with awe as you summon the absolute courage to channel God’s grace and show the good man George was.”
Then he addressed Floyd’s daughter, Gianna, “You are so brave … I know you have a lot of questions, honey. No child should have to ask questions that too many black children have had to ask for generations — why, why is Daddy gone?”
Biden added later, “Ladies and gentlemen, we can’t turn away, we must not turn away. We cannot leave this moment thinking we can once again turn away from racism that stings at our very soul from systemic abuse that still plagues American life.”
The former vice president continued, “We’ve got to deal with the denial of the promise of this nation to so many people for so long. It’s about who we are, what we believe and maybe more importantly, who we want to be. To ensure that all men and women are not only created equal but are treated equally. We can heal this nation’s wounds and remember its pain, not callous the heart and forget.”
He closed by quoting a hymn based on Psalm 91, “May he raise you up on eagle’s wings, bear you on the breath of dawn and make you to shine like the sun. Hold you in the palm of his hand.”
Grief is a heavy burden to bear — and it's even harder with the eyes of the world watching. I know. But that burden is now a purpose — to change the world for the better in the name of George Floyd.
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) June 9, 2020
That's the message I shared with his loved ones during today's service: pic.twitter.com/2LKJzwBUSO
Floyd’s death sparked weeks of protests throughout the nation. In Washington, Democrats on Capitol Hill have a unveiled sweeping police reform bill.
When they unveiled their legislation, Congresswoman Karen Bass (D-Calif.) told reporters, “A profession where you have the power to kill should be a profession that requires highly trained officers who are accountable to the public.”