The San Diego County Administration Center on San Diego's waterfront lit up in crimson red and gold Monday night to honor George Floyd, a Black man who died while pinned down by a now-fired Minneapolis police officer -- a death that has sparked protests worldwide.
Civil rights activist Shane Harris, President of the People's Alliance for Justice, asked the county to light up the building in the colors of Floyd's high school alma mater in Houston.
Floyd, who was handcuffed, died May 25 after Derek Chauvin used his knee to pin Floyd to the ground. Chauvin, who kept his knee on Floyd’s neck after Floyd stopped moving, has been charged with second-degree murder, third-degree murder and manslaughter.
The three other officers, Thomas Lane, J. Kueng and Tou Thao, have been charged with aiding and abetting both second-degree murder and manslaughter. All four officers were fired.
George Floyd
"San Diego lights up in honor of George Floyd and in solidarity with many other cities doing the same," Harris said. "We light up because it is time now to do the important reform work needed to address the long standing systemic issues that have heavily affected African Americans for far too long in this country. We light up to mark a place of change in America regarding police brutality and racial justice."
Harris also flew to Minneapolis for five days to meet Floyd's family and visit the memorial site following his death.
Harris, who recently tested positive for COVID-19, said he has made a full recovery. He is set to officially return to the public Tuesday morning noting, "There is a ton of work to do and we are just scratching the surface following Floyd's death".
