June 9 named 'George Floyd Day' in Harris County

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Harris County has officially named June 9 George Floyd Day.

In a tweet posted by Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo on Monday, she said she has issued a proclamation that will be announced on Tuesday.

"We must never forget the name George Floyd or the global movement he has inspired," wrote Hidalgo.

Meanwhile, the six-hour public viewing for Floyd got underway at noon. A steady stream of visitors, all required to wear masks and gloves, were ushered in to walk toward Floyd's golden casket for a brief moment.

The amount of people who visited surpassed 5,100 people just an hour before viewing was supposed to end at 6 p.m., according to church officials.

Floyd's funeral will be Tuesday, followed by burial at the Houston Memorial Gardens cemetery in Pearland, where he will be laid to rest next to his mother, Larcenia Floyd.

George Floyd died May 25 after a white Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee into his neck for several minutes even after he stopped responding. His death has inspired international protests and drawn new attention to the treatment of African Americans by police and the criminal justice system.

Floyd was raised in Houston's Third Ward and was a well-known former high school football player who rapped with local legend DJ Screw. He moved to Minneapolis several years ago to seek work and a fresh start. His face now appears on a mural in his old neighborhood, and his name was chanted by tens of thousands last week at a protest and march in downtown Houston.

In the video above, Donkeeboy talks about the incredible new mural in Third Ward for George Floyd and where in the neighborhood you can see it.

SEE ALSO: What Houston meant to George Floyd

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