Today at 12 p.m. ET, BET will air and stream George Floyd‘s entire funeral services on BET, BET Her and Bet.com.
The commercial-free, live BET News coverage “BET Remembers: George Floyd,” will be anchored by Marc Lamont Hill. Mayor Sylvester Turner, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, Rev. Al Sharpton, Attorney Benjamin Crump, Slim Thug, Leela James, Paul Wall, Floyd Mayweather, Congressman Al Green, and Bishop James Dixon are a few of the confirmed guests slated to attend the private memorial in Houston, Texas.
READ MORE: Hundreds line up for George Floyd’s memorial in Houston
“It is heartbreaking, infuriating, and devastating to witness the scourge of racism in America claim lives in our community. We must use this moment to galvanize our collective power to eradicate systemic racism, violence and injustice. It is our responsibility,” BET President Scott Mills said in a press release provided to theGrio.
He adds, “we are committed to working closely with community leaders, organizations and our like-minded corporate partners to create a more just society. We stand in solidarity with and look to empower every member of our community who is working towards this change.”
Over the past two weeks, millions of people across the nation, and around the world, have taken part in demonstrations to demand justice for Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man who was killed by Minneapolis police on May 25 after a local store clerk called 911 on him for allegedly using a counterfeit $20.
The harrowing cellphone footage of Floyd’s last moments spread quickly across the internet just weeks after a video surfaced of the February killing of Ahmaud Arbery, and soon after word began to spread regarding the March killing of Breonna Taylor.
READ MORE: Minneapolis to ban police chokehold in wake of George Floyd’s death
Arbery was out jogging when he was stalked and killed by armed white men, and Taylor was shot eight times during a botched no-knock raid when police entered the wrong apartment in the middle of the night.
All four Minneapolis police officers involved in Floyd’s death were fired the following day as the video of the incident became widely disseminated. Following pressure from nationwide protests, Derek Chauvin, the officer who knelt on Floyd’s neck leading to his subsequent death, was charged with second- and third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter, with bail set at up to $1.25 million.
A week later, as the protests grew worldwide, the three remaining officers were also arrested and charged with aiding and abetting both second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. In addition to the four arrests, a majority of the Minneapolis City Council has vowed to dismantle the city’s 800-member police agency, and numerous agencies in the U.S. and abroad have enacted sweeping legislative changes.
Yesterday, hundreds of mourners attended a public viewing at The Fountain of Praise Church in Houston, Texas where Floyd spent most of his life. Today, Tuesday, June 9, BET will commemorate his life by broadcasting his funeral service in its entirety.
For up-to-the-minute details on George Floyd’s services including video and editorial content, visit BET.com and follow @BET & @BETNews for the latest news and developments.
#BETRemembersGeorgeFloyd #JusticeNowBET
Have you subscribed to theGrio’s new podcast “Dear Culture”? Download our newest episodes now!
https://open.spotify.com/episode/3ZuyOfTmcLfkxzqMdftiCV?t=0
https://open.spotify.com/episode/2XG71SmYPP80MxutbI1UyO?t=0