Girlfriend of George Floyd: 'His spirit is always around us'
Courteney Ross, the girlfriend of George Floyd shares her memories of him and describes his lasting impact as the anniversary of his death approaches. (FOX 9)
BROOKLYN CENTER, Minn. (FOX 9) - On the eve of the one-year anniversary of George Floyd's murder at the hands of Minneapolis police, his girlfriend Courteney Ross says the pain is as raw now as it was the day he died.
"Lots of tears. Lots of memories, but it feels good to be here with my new second family," said Ross.
Ross was one of about 100 people who showed up for a Justice for All Stolen Lives rally on the steps of the state Capitol. Several families who have lost loved ones to law enforcement called on state legislators to pass several police accountability bills.
"If we continue take our time and stay silent, I don't want someone else’s family to be standing up here with me with next week or week after because it’s happened to them," said Katie Wright, the mother of Daunte Wright, who died from a police shooting in Brooklyn Center.
The rally is just one way people are remembering Floyd around the first anniversary of his death. Some of his friends and family members are expected to attend a daylong celebration at 38th and Chicago, or George Floyd Square as it's now called, which will also feature community art, a concert by Sounds of Blackness and a candlelight vigil.
As loved ones march for stolen lives, Ross believes her late boyfriend is now her guardian angel and what gets her through life without him is knowing his memory will live on.
"He lives within all of us," said Ross. "His spirit is always around us. I can feel him protecting us right now and every day. So we're blessed to have him as our angel. We really are."