Hundreds gathered for the memorial service for George Floyd, which took place at North Central University in Minneapolis on Thursday.
His family was joined by civil rights leaders Reverend Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton and Martin Luther King III.
Reverend Sharpton, the founder of the National Action Network, delivered a eulogy to honour of Mr. Floyd’s life.
Actress Tiffany Haddish, comedian Kevin Hart and rapper Chris “Ludacris” Bridges are also in attendance.
Philonise Floyd, one of Mr. Floyd’s brothers, told those at the memorial service that their family was poor and that he and George would wash their socks and clothes with soap in the sink and dry them in the oven because they did not have a dryer.
Mr. Floyd’s death on May 25 has become the latest flash point for rage over police brutality against black Americans.
Derek Chauvin, 44, was fired from the Minneapolis police force and charged with second-degree murder after being filmed in a widely circulated video kneeling on Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes as he gasped for air and repeatedly groaned, “Please, I can’t breathe.”
The other officers who were present at the scene have also been charged.
Police say they suspected Mr. Floyd of using a counterfeit bill to pay for cigarettes.
Meanwhile, North Central University announced during the memorial service, the creation of the George Floyd memorial scholarship.
It has already received over $52,000 in contributions.
Donations
In the meantime, rapper Kanye West has made a US$2 million donation to support the families of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbrery, and Breonna Taylor, whose murders were all racially driven.
The donation includes funding for legal fees for Arbery and Taylor’s families, along with black-owned businesses in crisis in his native Chicago and other cities.
West’s representative said he established an education plan to fully cover college tuition for Gianna Floyd, the six year-old daughter of George Floyd.
