George Floyd: 10 things that have changed since his death

George Floyd: 10 things that have changed since his death

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It’s almost three weeks since George Floyd’s death.

There have been protests around the world over the way police treat black people and highlighting racism and inequality in societies.

His family say they don’t want his death to be in vain.

Radio 1 Newsbeat has been looking at 10 things that have already changed since George Floyd died.

1. Global tributes and protests

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London, Tokyo and Auckland are just some of the cities holding protests

People are protesting with one message – Black Lives Matter.

They have marched in the past when other black people have been killed by police, but this time it’s different.

There have been demonstrations in all 50 US states, including in places like Anna, a small village in Illinois – described locally as one of “the most racist places”.

Cities in 50 countries have also held demonstrations.

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Syrian painter Aziz Asmar and his two friends created this to show solidarity with anti-racists in the US

There’s a portrait of George Floyd on the side of a bombed-out building in Syria’s Idlib province.

2. Statues being taken down

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Edward Colston had been honoured for centuries in Bristol for donating a lot of his wealth to charities and the city

In the UK and the US statues and monuments of people with links to slavery are being toppled by demonstrators.

In Bristol, the statue of a 17th Century slave trader Edward Colston was dumped in the harbour. It has since been fished out and will be put in a museum.

In the US statues of Christopher Columbus have been defaced or taken down.

Some argue removing statues is erasing history – others say they belong in museums rather than seeming to celebrate individuals.

3. Companies standing in solidarity with BLM

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Model Munroe Bergdorf was dropped by a brand for posting about racism

Lots of the world’s biggest brands have been quick to pledge their support for the Black Lives Matter movement.

But some companies like L’Oreal Paris have faced criticism.

When it posted support, the transgender model Munroe Bergdorf responded, saying the brand “threw me to the wolves”.

She was sacked by L’Oreal in 2017 for posting about “the racial violence of white people”.

At the time the company said her comments “are at odds” with their values but the new boss Delphine Viguier has apologised for the way the situation was handled.

4. Police officers charged

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Derek Chauvin, J Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane and Tou Thao – the four officers who arrested George Floyd

Derek Chauvin has been charged with murder and manslaughter over George Floyd’s death – three other former officers face charges of aiding and abetting murder.

Other high-profile cases where black men died in police custody haven’t led to officers being convicted.

According to the Attorney General in Minnesota – Keith Ellison, “it’s not going to be easy to get a conviction”, in the George Floyd case.

Only one officer in Minnesota has been convicted of killing a civilian while serving in the role.

5. Police departments are making changes

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Media captionThe history of police violence in the US

Minneapolis city council forced the police department to ban chokeholds and neck restraints.

Unannounced police raids, known as “no-knock warrants” have been scrapped in Louisville – where Breonna Taylor died.

She was at home in bed when police officers entered her apartment. She died after being shot eight times.

Defunding the police is another change protestors want – they argue too much cash is given to the police and it should be reduced.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said he would divert money from the city’s police department to social services.

6. Donating to charities and bailing out protestors

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Kanye West has set up a fund to cover the cost of university for George Floyd’s six-year-old daughter Gianna.

The George Floyd’s memorial fund smashed its $1.5m (£1.19m) goal and became the most donated GoFundMe page on the website.

Millions of donations were also made to other causes related to racism.

Take the Minnesota Freedom Fund, for example. a small project created to help low income people cover the cost of bail – which can cost thousands.

Jameela Jamil, Harry Styles and Chrissey Teigan were amongst the celebrities donating to bail out protestors.

7. ‘You’re a racist”

More people are speaking out about the everyday racism and discrimination they have faced.

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Media captionClara Amfo: “You cannot enjoy the rhythm and ignore the blues”

Radio 1’s Clara Amfo was praised for speaking openly about the impact George Floyd’s death had on her and her mental health.

She said what happened had reinforced a feeling among black people “that people want our culture, but they do not want us”.

“In other words, you want my talent, but you don’t want me,” Clara added

Leona Lewis posted on her Instagram talking about a past experience where the singer says she and her dad were racially targeted in a shop.

She says she was told she was told she was “not allowed” to touch stuff in the store.

When the woman in the shop tried to apologise, Leona confronted her. “I said, ‘you’re a racist’.”

8. Black out Tuesday

On Tuesday 2 June a series of black tiles were posted across social media as part of a protest called Blackout Tuesday.

Its intention was to ‘black out’ usual activity and take the time to learn about the Black Lives Matter movement.

It started off within the music industry with support from record labels and radio stations.

It was later criticised as the posts filled the BlackLivesMatter hashtag- hiding posts with important information and updates about the on-going protests.

9. Street names changed

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Black Lives Matter Plaza is now the name of the street in Washington DC leading up the White House.

The mayor there changed the name because she wasn’t happy with the way President Trump reacted to the protests.

The Mayor of New York says a street in each borough will be renamed “Black Lives Matter.”

10. Programmes taken off streaming platforms

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Matt Lucas and David Walliams have both talked about “doing things differently” if they remade the show

TV shows that contain “racially insensitive” or inappropriate characters are being removed from streaming services – although many argue we shouldn’t judge comedy from previous eras by today’s standards.

Little Britain and Come Fly with Me were pulled from iPlayer and Netflix because their use of Black face.

The Mighty Boosh and The League Of Gentlemen were also removed from Netflix.

Keith Lemon recently posted an apology for playing black characters in Bo ‘Selecta and showed his support for Black Lives Matter.

Follow Newsbeat on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays – or listen back here.

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