The social impact of Minneapolis’s memorial for its community.

For many years Black Lives Matter and protestors have urged for their voices to be heard, yearning for justice from the actions of racially motivated police brutality.

This was especially true after the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, which caused a huge wave of nationwide protests against excessive police force and systemic racism.

A memorial remains at the site of that murder to preserve George Floyd’s legacy and keep his story alive. The memorial has changed since the event six years ago.

One change made was the grocery store’s name from Cup Foods to Unity Foods. The store owner wanted to protect his privacy during the death of George Floyd, especially after the rising tension and riots regarding the incident nearby.

The owner also received threats from locals about his actions that caused it to begin, according to local news reports. He kept his store under closure for months as well, stating he would no longer call the police for petty crimes.

 The construction on Chicago Avenue has also been developing with rebuilt utilities and the re-opening of roadblocks for traffic to continue flowing to the city.

What also stands out upon visiting this site is the reconstruction of the public roads just across the street from the memorial and grocery store. There is also a landscape garden in front of Unity Foods.

A local landscaper and caretaker by the name of “Maestro” attends to the neighborhood gardens.  He said that the memorial has shaped the identity of the neighborhood. 

“I think it’s a great foundation that’s showing a lot of peace, resilience, and a lot of unity, and I feel like that is transferring over to other neighborhoods and other communities for sure,”Maestro said.