Gianna Floyd, the daughter of George Floyd, listens to a news conference with Stephen Jackson. Image: AP/Julio Cortez
After the death of African American George Floyd sparked widespread protests against racism and police brutality in the United States, a fundraiser dedicated to supporting Floyd’s 6-year-old daughter has collected over $1.3 million (P64.87 million), as of this writing.
The 46-year-old Floyd died on May 25 after a white Minneapolis policeman, Derek Chauvin, kneeled on his neck for more than eight minutes, causing him to lose consciousness and eventually die of a cardiac arrest. Floyd was arrested for allegedly using counterfeit money at a small grocery store.
The GoFundMe page, aiming to raise $1.5 million, was set up earlier this week for Floyd’s daughter, Gianna, who will have to “go through life without her dad.” According to the site, Gianna did not only lose her father but the entire Floyd family lost its provider, and will “no doubt suffer financial hardship after this tragic loss.”
The family’s community came together to assist Gianna and her mother Roxie Washington by providing them funds for grief counseling, as well as lodging and travel money for going through the court proceedings. The raised funds would also help Washington raise Gianna and provide for her education.
“Our hearts are overwhelmed with gratitude and we ask that you think of Gianna and the rest of our family as we suffer through this great loss,” Washington stated in the crowdfunding site.
The fundraiser is organized by Stewart Trial Attorneys, the family’s legal counsel. It also clarified that it is the only fundraiser under Gianna’s name.
A separate GoFundMe page was organized by George’s brother, Philonise, a week ago for the victim’s funeral and burial expenses. The concluded crowdfunding raised over $12.4 million (P619 million), exceeding its initial goal of $1.5 million (over P74 million).
As protests continue to rage on in the U.S. and around the world, Chauvin’s charges had been upgraded to second-degree murder. The other officers who were with Chauvin in the scene have recently been charged with aiding and abetting. JB
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