Book
Lift your voice : how my nephew George Floyd's murder changed the world
Publication Information
New York : Post Hill Press, [2022]
Physical Description
195 pages, 8 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations (chiefly color) ; 24 cm
Summary
Angela Harrelson, George Floyd's aunt and closest relative, tells the behind-the-scenes story of George's family--how he lived and why he died--and how the world can find a solution to racism through his death. This is the story of Angela's lifelong relationship with George Floyd--whom the family called Perry--and how, after being suddenly thrust into the spotlight, she went on a quest to make sure her nephew did not die in vain. It's a story of tragic loss and a worldwide uprising to ensure Perry's death ushers society into a time where people are no longer judged, hated, or killed because of the color of their skin.
"Angela Harrelson, George Floyd's aunt and closest relative in Minnesota, tells the behind-the-scenes story of George's family--how he lived and why he died--and how the world can find a solution to racism through his death. Angela Harrelson grew up poor, one of thirteen brothers and sisters raised in a shack in the North Carolina woods. She was first in her family to go to college, first to be commissioned in the military, and first to have a career as a professional nurse. Along the way, she and her family were exposed to the harshest forms of racism--from her childhood riding the school bus with white children who made the Black kids stand, to racist commanding officers in the Air Force who told her they wanted her to fail. Nothing stopped Angela, and nothing removed the hope in her heart that America could learn to stop hating people based on the color of their skin. This is the story of George Floyd's aunt, Angela Harrelson, and how, after being suddenly thrust into the spotlight, she went on a quest to make sure her nephew did not die in vain. Lift Your Voice is a memoir of faith, hope, and bravery, of what we all--Black and white--need to do to eradicate racism from our society. It's a story of tragic loss and a worldwide uprising to ensure Perry's death ushers society into a time where people are no longer judged, hated, or killed because of the color of their skin." --
Contents
- "The police killed your nephew. Do you have any comments?"
- "This is the white train, not the soul train": growing up in the racist South
- Why black people are out of patience
- The runaway slave mentality and the police
- It must be good to be white
- The verdict on Derek Chauvin
- One year out
- How my faith pulled me through the pain
- The bitter and the sweet-- Derek Chauvin's sentencing
- What must happen next
- How can we teach our children to be antiracist?
- Appendix: Victim impact statement.