By Cecily Bryant

On May 25, 2020, the world watched in stunned horror as a living soul struggled to live and breathe against an unrelenting evil.

For 8 minutes and 46 seconds, George Perry Floyd, Jr., a 46-year old African- American son, father, brother, uncle, cousin, nephew and friend, “narrated his own death.” George Floyd succumbed to suffocation under the full weight of a grown man pressing his knee onto his neck, crushing his air flow and depriving his brain of oxygen. As he laid face down, wrists cuffed behind his back, George Floyd repeatedly cried out, “I can’t breathe.” Those pleas for life-sustaining relief in the form of a simple breath were met with calloused disregard and cold indifference.

On June 9, Philonise Floyd stood above the gold-colored casket of his big brother George and announced to the world that he has stopped wearing ties. This simple act of protest evolved from his reaction to hearing his brother’s final pleas to breathe. Philonise Floyd has vowed to never wear a tie again “until there is justice for George.”

Justice for George and countless other African-Americans who have perished unjustly at the hands of those sworn to “Protect and Serve,” was the impetus behind a recent trip to Minneapolis, MN, by Elder Stan Hood, Senior Pastor Southeast S.D.A. Church and Elder Glenn Allen, Senior Pastor in the Southern District of Virginia, 3 Angels MSG, Emmanuel and Hope Mission. The two visited the city shortly after the murder of George Floyd and through the lens of Facebook live, shared a well-documented journey, which included praying with residents, visiting the murder site, attending the funeral of George Floyd, and reflecting on police reform.

As they made their way through the city the aftermath of the more vigorous protesting that followed Floyd’s murder was evident. Charred buildings, boarded-up windows and graffiti bore witness to the rage that boiled over in response to the hate that stole Floyd’s life.

When asked why this revolutionary moment of worldwide protest has manifested itself now, Pastor Hood was very candid in his observation. “We watched a man slowly die beneath the knee of a civil servant who wasn’t bothered by it at all. He wasn’t disturbed by the pleas for help, nor was he disturbed by being filmed with that smirk on his face. It’s an iconic symbol of white supremacy. The difference is that the crime is undeniable. It’s an Emmett Till moment. The other victims of slavery (white Americans) can’t honestly dismiss it. It was the culmination of a series of outrageous racial incidents. It was the perfect storm.”

Pastor Hood went on to say, “When we examine the classic stages of grief, you can see the parallel with mainstream America (and around the world). Denial is no longer an option. Next, you saw people trying to distance themselves from racism by either marching or strongly opposing the guilt of the former officer. This is American wrestling with its perception of itself. That’s why I call white Americans the other victims of slavery. It takes generations of social engineering to convince a group of people that [they] have an advantage based on their skin. Most whites couldn’t afford slaves and in fact, most dealt with their own set of hardships and trials. Convincing them to trust the caste system and living conditions, was key. The concept of taking pride in believing that suffering as a white person is better than being black, was key. Black people became something less than human and white people became benign. These are the dark roots of American prosperity.”

At ground zero, the site where George Floyd lost his life, there is an artist’s rendering of an angel that replaces the outline where Floyd took his last breath. At the foot of the angel are the words, “I Can’t Breathe.” It is a powerful image that evokes sadness and tears, but also reflects a glimmer of hope. Asked if he sensed the presence of the Holy Spirit even in the midst of such sorrow, Pastor Hood stated, “Yes, the presence of the Holy Spirit was there. Conditions changed drastically between the moment I bought my ticket and our arrival in Minnesota. When we saw how unstable things had become, I told Pastor Allen that we’re taking the power of the Holy Spirit with us to face whatever the climate would evolve into. That’s what happened. God began to open doors immediately. Luke 12:12 came to life right away (the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say).”

Pastor Hood and Pastor Allen met many individuals and had the opportunity to pray with them. According to Pastor Hood, “the most compelling aspect of the trip was the atmosphere. Residents of the area seemed somewhat embarrassed at the attention and the murder. They went out of their way to accommodate visitors. Another element of the atmosphere was the solidarity across the board. I made it a point to repeatedly ask if residents were like this all the time. The answer was usually yes.”

The funeral for George Floyd in Minneapolis, M.N., was the first of three. Perhaps the most poignant moment came at the end of the funeral, when the Rev. Al Sharpton, who eulogized Floyd, asked mourners and the world to stand for 8 minutes and 46 seconds—the time it took George Floyd to die.

Pastor Hood described the experience as he lived it. “They placed clergy and their family in the gym adjacent to what you saw on T.V. Two hundred is probably a conservative number of pastors, etc., watching in the overflow. We had already done similar things during the protest where George was killed. However, standing in silence with the world for that time was indescribable. Beyond the obvious emotion, it became clear that 8 minutes and 46 seconds is a tremendous amount of time for someone to stop a murder. It was also plenty of time for four police officers to realize that it was indeed a murder. The guilty were tried and convicted during that moment of silence. There were spontaneous outbursts of emotion in the room. Every black person realized that it could have been them. Every white person displayed real outward pain. That’s when I was glad we weren’t in the main auditorium.”

At the center of the trip to Minnesota was the need to discuss systemic racism and real police reform, but what does that look like, especially from a Christian viewpoint? According to Pastor Hood, “the variety of clergy that descended on Minnesota seemed endless. They all seemed to be motivated by the same goal—trying to help in any way possible. Many seemed to be happy with marching and providing social services. I remain focused on policy. Thorough background checks for police officers must be mandatory. Citizen over sight of police records and automatic federal investigation of incidents where citizens are killed must be implemented.”

Additionally, Pastor Hood stated that “other than prayer, churches can create events and programs to facilitate real conversations between races. The church should openly lead by reconciling its own racial issues. It may be difficult to create safe places to do this, but it will definitely be worth it.”

The fight against systemic racism and police brutality was been raging for years and will continue, but this time the fight feels different. Pastor Allen stated that, “this is history in the making. It’s not going to stop at this one event—we’re going to ride it to the end. It goes way beyond what happened here in Minneapolis.”

Pastor Hood stated that he will make another trip to Washington, D.C., in the fall, where a march is being organized. “I’m all for that,” he said, “but pressure must be applied to legislators. The best to do that is to constantly remind them that we’re all watching.”

In wrapping up his thoughts, Pastor Hood added “there has been much said about ambulance chasing—glory hunting, etc. I have four sons. The youngest is 10. One or all of them will ask me about this moment in time when they get older. I can say to them with confidence that their father stood up to wrong took action. If it were easy or convenient, everyone would have done it. Change will never be granted. It must be demanded.”