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Paying their respects. Celebrities including Channing Tatum and Jamie Foxx joined George Floyd’s loved ones in Houston on Tuesday, June 9, to pay tribute to the man whose death in police custody sparked protests across the U.S. and around the world.
The 46-year-old man died on May 25 after Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin pressed his knee into Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes. Not only did Floyd’s death spark a global political movement, but it also has led many — including major stars — to honor him by attending one of his funeral services.
Tatum, 40, and Foxx, 52, were among the high-profile stars that made an appearance at the Houston gathering. NFL stars J.J. Watt and D.J. Reader, former NBA player Stephen Jackson, Houston Texans chairman and CEO Cal McNair and musician Al B. Sure! were also present.
Ne-Yo performed “It’s So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday” by Boyz II Men, while Rev. Al Sharpton addressed the mourners during an emotional speech.
“God took the rejected stone and made him the cornerstone of a movement that’s going to change the whole wide world,” Sharpton, 65, said. “Your family is going to miss you George, but your nation is going to always remember your name. Because your neck was one that represents all of us, and how you suffered is how we all suffer.”
Floyd’s life is being remembered in multiple services following his death. The first was held at the Frank J. Lindquist Sanctuary at North Central University in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on June 4.
At that memorial, North Central University President Dr. Scott Hagen announced the college’s new George Floyd Memorial Scholarship Fund that will be given to young black leaders. Hagen also led a word of prayer, Sharpton gave a eulogy and Rev. Jerry McAfee read a bible scripture. Stars including Kevin Hart, Ludacris, Tiffany Haddish, T.I. and Tyrese traveled to Minnesota for the service.
Floyd shared his 6-year-old daughter, Gianna, with Roxie Washington. During a candid interview with Good Morning America on June 3, Washington opened up about Floyd’s life. “He just wanted her to have the best,” she said at the time. “We were struggling so he did what he had to do as a man and he had to come here [to Minneapolis] to work. And he said I’m going to come back and get y’all.”
Scroll down to see photos from Floyd’s Houston service.
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