InspireNOLA hosts community talk with Philonise Floyd, brother of the late George Floyd

6th December 2021   ·   0 Comments

By Kai Davis
Contributing Writer

Roughly a year after George Floyd’s death, Philonise Floyd, the younger brother to George Floyd, shared with community members in New Orleans the impact of his brother’s death at McDonogh 35 Senior High School on Nov. 11, 2021.

“[This event] means a lot, it helps to understand that people all around the world continue to fight, and just for [InspireNOLA] to invite me here, shows the impact that I can bring here, and that we are all here trying to make change,” said Floyd, who is also the founder and president of The Philonise and Keeta Floyd Institute of Social Change (PAKFISC).

George Floyd’s death on May 25, 2020, sparked numerous uproars across the world bringing attention to the mistreatment Black men and women face, especially in the hands of law enforcement. Philonise, who since the murder of his brother, said he has used his voice to bring awareness to the unjust treatment many members within the Black community have endured. Floyd shared that he has been advocating for change in the criminalization towards people of color. For Floyd, this goes beyond seeking justice for his late brother and in all, are steps to change the narrative.

“It’s a terrible system if you ask me because, [Chauvin] had committed crimes before and no one said anything,” Floyd said. “He murdered my brother in broad daylight…people talked about it, some people witnessed it, they were there. They could not get a chance to fight the police officers to tell them [to] move, because they were threatened by them,” Floyd added.

InspireNOLA Charter Schools, in collaboration with the Alliance for Diversity and Excellence, who are advocates for charter schools in the Greater New Orleans area, said the event supported their work to support, educate and inspire today’s youth to understand the importance of seeing members within the Black community in leadership positions.

“The important part about this entire series is that it starts the conversation,” said Kevin Barnes Jr., managing director of engagement for KIPP New Orleans Schools and who is on the leadership team for the Alliance for Diversity and Excellence (A.D.E). “It tells young people that it’s okay to talk about systemic racism, it’s okay to talk about issues or problems that you have in your community, and this is the first part of that. Which leads to the next part, what do we do next?” Barnes added.

In circumstances where systemic racism is mentioned, it is important for those within the Black community to speak up about it, the speakers said.

“The big pieces that we wanted to get from Mr. Floyd is that he’s fighting for voting rights and he’s fighting to make sure that there is criminal justice reform and how we get students to do the next steps towards that,” Barnes said.

It is Floyd’s mission to ensure members of the Black community communicate and include topics such as systemic racism in schools, work and everyday conversation to make certain the message that change will come and continue to be present.

“Systemic racism, it exists. It’s nothing you can hide anymore, so you have to be able to get out and communicate,” Floyd said.

For members of McDonogh 35 Senior High School, the event showed how necessary representation of leadership within the Black community is needed.

“Many of our students, faculty, and staff have been touched in some way by violence. It may not be a racial situation so-to-speak, but violence nonetheless,” said Alisha Foucha-Mercadel, a counselor at McDonough 35 High School.

“I think hearing the voice, seeing the face – the pain, the hurt and listening to the truth about racism among our people will maybe give them a sense of being the best person they can be. This generation of students has the ability to deal with, combat and defeat racism, but they must first believe that they are worthy and believe that their lives matter,” Mercadel added.

The talk about racism and the on-going discrimination members of the Black community face still endures today, the speakers shared. Speaking the truth, being aware and understanding how much of an impact anyone, like Philonise Floyd can make, is the start to criminal justice reform, the students said.

“We have a lot to think about,” Floyd said. “This is nothing new for the older generation, but for the younger generation to see this, this is a problem and change has to come,” Floyd added.

This article originally published in the December 6, 2021 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.