HOUSTON – Not far from the funeral, people celebrated the life of George Floyd with food and music.
The group Color of Change and Bethel’s Family Baptist Church in Houston hosted a community repass, or gathering after the service.
“We have to take a stand now and say listen, we can't sit on the sidelines. We got to go to the next level to make sure these things stop happening,” said Walter August Jr., senior pastor at the church.
Pastor August is a father and grandfather who wants to make sure the movement sparked by Floyd’s death doesn’t end with his burial.
“It cannot be the end because law enforcement, that's one sector of injustice or racism, but it's in all pockets and all organizations and all companies,” August said.
Joel Jackson is a member of Color of Change who helped with the event.
“We're not only out here for him, we're out here in a specific movement trying to stop racial injustice,” he said.
Jackson said things must change.
“We are adamant, adamant about making a change not only in the justice system but also globally throughout the world,” Jackson said.
The pastor called Floyd’s death a “wake up call” for the nation and said it’s time for the country to deal with these real issues.