To the whole world his name is George Floyd. But for Shareeduh Tate, it was “Perry”, her middle name. Resident in the suburbs of Houston (Texas), she is one of the cousins of the African-American killed in Minneapolis (Minnesota) by a white policeman who knelt on his neck. It was May 25, 2020. The tragedy, which shocked the United States and the world, brutally propelled the Floyd family into the limelight. Well in spite of herself. “I never saw myself as an activist. But we were not given a choice ”, confides his cousin in her soft voice.
→ MAINTENANCE. George Floyd affair: “American society is neither pacified nor reconciled”
Shareeduh Tate grew up in Houston with George and a host of cousins. Of all, she is arguably the most responsible. Mom at 20, brought up in the Baptist tradition, studious, she had to lead her cousins here and there, including young George. At the time, he lived with his mother, Larcenia, aka “Miss Cissy”, in a poor neighborhood. Despite the daily difficulties, their house is open to everyone. Larcenia regales the neighborhood with its nourishing dishes made with rice and beans and offers a shower to whoever wants. “Our wealth did not come from our finances”, summarizes Shareeduh Tate, who lived nearby. Even though Larcenia “Was a mother to many people in the community”, his son was undoubtedly his greatest admirer. “George was a mom’s son. Even when she was in a wheelchair, he tried to get to her knees. Despite his large size, he melted when she was there. “
While Shareeduh opted for a career as a nurse, her cousin George left in 2017 to rebuild his life in Minneapolis after experiencing run-ins with the law and problems with addiction. The life of this “Gentle giant”, as her cousin calls her, suddenly stops on May 25, in the south of the city. The unbearable video of his death does not emerge until the next day. That morning, around 5 a.m., Shareeduh Tate was about to walk to work at a hospice in Houston, when she spotted the footage on social media and on television. Without her or caption, she does not identify her handcuffed cousin, lying on his stomach under the police officer’s knee. “I thought: I feel so bad for the family. She will be devastated when she learns what happened to their loved one. ” A few minutes later, one of her cousins informs her that it is George. “I told myself it was impossible. But when I heard his screams, I immediately stopped the video because I knew it was him. “ She calls as many parents as possible before they turn on their television. “They had seen the video, but no one knew it was him. “
Between the sadness, the mourning, the high-profile funerals, but also the monster demonstrations against racism that swept the United States in the midst of a pandemic, the days, weeks and months following the tragedy are trying for the Floyd family. “We went through all the emotions: sadness, anger, despair… Right now, we only thought of repatriating his remains. We would never have thought that this drama would take on such proportions ”, explains Shareeduh Tate.
“The current climate is conducive to change”
She tries to guide her family through the difficult process of mourning. Become a nurse in palliative care after the death of her first husband in a motorcycle accident, she had also accompanied the last months of her niece, suffering from brain cancer. “All my experiences in contact with dying people and their loved ones have prepared me for this moment. It became my role to console my family, to tell them that grieving can take years, that there is no right or wrong way to do it. “
For her, this path comes up against an obstacle at the end of March, at the start of the high-profile trial of Derek Chauvin, the police officer accused of the murder of her cousin. Sitting in the courtroom in Minneapolis, a few meters from the former police officer, she discovers the entire video of more than nine minutes where George Floyd gradually loses consciousness under the pressure of the knee of his executioner. “I had just seen pictures of George dancing in a store, playful, alive… It reminded me of our childhood. He just had to walk into a room to make everyone smile. But after seeing the video of his death, I went down very low. I expected the policeman to show signs of compassion, but I didn’t see any of that. “
→ REPORTAGE. Derek Chauvin found guilty: in Minneapolis, a verdict that looks like a new start
Derek Chauvin is convicted on April 20 of the three charges against him – “Murder”, ” manslaughter “ and “Voluntary violence”. The long-awaited decision is just one “Start” for Shareeduh Tate. In addition to calling for the conviction of the three other agents who took part in the arrest of her cousin, and whose trial will begin in August, she and her family are campaigning for the passage of the “George Floyd Justice in Policing Act”, a bill that would facilitate the prosecution and conviction of police officers, among other measures.
Shareeduh Tate has also successfully mobilized for the passage of reforms in his state of Texas. With other members of her family, who have also become activists, such as George’s brother, Philonise, she takes part in interviews, meets elected officials, including Joe Biden and vice-president Kamala Harris … “There has been a lot of progress in a year. The dialogues around racism that started last year are continuing. The current climate is conducive to change. “ Shareeduh Tate also runs a foundation named after his cousin. It offers scholarships, job opportunities and campaigns for racial justice to “Create a better world for future generations”, she said, before continuing: “My son, who just turned 10, deserves the same opportunities as everyone else. “
→ PODCAST. “This is America”. African Americans, fighting racism at its roots
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Justice continues after Derek Chauvin
Minneapolis is not done with the legal fallout from the death of George Floyd. After Derek Chauvin, the three other police officers who participated in the arrest of the African-American are to be tried from August 23 in the same room of the Hennepin County court. In the dock: Officers J. Alexander Kueng and Thomas Lane, who arrived at the scene first. The third, Tou Thao, who accompanied Derek Chauvin, took care of keeping at a distance the witnesses who witnessed, helpless and angry, the suffocation of George Floyd. Each agent faces up to fifty years in prison for having “helped and encouraged” the actions of Derek Chauvin.
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