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CNN Live Event/Special

Live Coverage of George Floyd's Funeral in Houston. Aired 2- 2:30p ET

Aired June 09, 2020 - 14:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

(SINGING)

MIA K. WRIGHT, CO-PASTOR, THE FOUNTAIN OF PRAISE CHURCH: Come on, to God be the glory. Come on, somebody say it to your name, to God be the glory. What the devil means for evil, God means for good.

Come on, this is (INAUDIBLE) with a homegoing celebration today, and we be able to celebrate the life of a man who he lived here on this earth but as God has used him in his death to expand his name throughout the world, to make change. Amen? Amen, amen, amen.

God bless you too, all of our dignitaries, to Mayor Turner, I think you a preacher. You have a job when you finish your term here, in the city of Houston. We thank God for his leadership. Amen? Amen.

The program calls for -- I believe there's another video montage that is about to occur, and we thank God for the young lady who has put them together, these videos. Amen, come on now, somebody's still celebrating for the things he has done. Oh, yes, Jesus. Ange Hillz is the video artist who has put together these montages.

But I want to ask the members of the family who are going to come up and speak at this time, if you would please make your way to the stage: Kathleen McGee, Brady Bob, Travis Cains and Mr. Cyril Wright -- Cyril White, rather.

And as they come up, there is a tribute being sung -- that will be sung by R&B artist Ne-Yo. That will be followed by one of the Jack Yates alumni, who is offering a poem, Ernicia (ph) Clayton (ph) Dangerfield (ph), and then another musical selection, "My Soul Has Been Anchored in the Lord," Mr. Michael (ph) Todd (ph).

[14:02:41]

God bless you, and family, come up as we're ready to receive you.

(SINGING)

(APPLAUSE)

[14:06:50]

KATHLEEN MCGEE, AUNT OF GEORGE FLOYD: Welcome, everyone. I am George Floyd's aunt. I'm also -- just give me a minute -- I just want to thank everybody, and I would like to thank the whole world, what it has done for my family today, it's been (ph) through (ph) George.

But I just want to make this statement. The world knows George Floyd. I know Perry Jr.

(APPLAUSE)

He was a pesky little rascal, but we all loved him. And I just want to thank all the mothers that are here today. And if you've got a nephew, an uncle, just hug them and just let them know, we are for all these young black men that are coming up in this world today. And just hug them and love them because we don't ever know when their time will come.

I just want to thank each and every one of you. I have gained such a huge family, all over the world. I have so many sisters and brothers now, I have aunts and uncles, and I just want to thank you all. There's too many names to remember, but God knows in his heart that I love this Floyd family, I love my sister, and I can't talk about George Perry Jr. unless I bring up his mother's name.

(APPLAUSE)

Everybody -- everyone knows her as Miss Sissy, in 3rd Ward (INAUDIBLE) home, Texas.

(APPLAUSE)

I just want to say I love you, I love all the support and my family know I do.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, I love you.

MCGEE: And we all won. Thank you.

(APPLAUSE)

LATONYA FLOYD, GEORGE FLOYD'S SISTER: I just want to say that I might miss my brother a whole lot, and --

(APPLAUSE)

-- I love -- I almost to say, Damn, I love you. And I thank God for giving me my own personal superman. God bless you all.

(APPLAUSE)

[14:10:20]

BROOKE WILLIAMS, GEORGE FLOYD'S NIECE: First off, I want to say hello, my name is Brooke Williams, George Floyd's niece, and I can breathe. As long as I'm breathing, justice will be served for Perry.

First off, I want to thank all of you for coming out to support George Perry Floyd. My uncle was a father, brother, uncle and a cousin to many, spiritually grounded, an activist. He always moved people with his words. That officer showed no remorse while watching my uncle's soul leave

his body. He begged and pleaded many times, just for you to get up. But you just pushed harder. Why must this system be corrupt and broken? Laws were already put in place for the African-American system to fail.

These laws need to be changed. No more hate crimes, please. Someone said, "Make America Great Again," but when has America ever been great?

(APPLAUSE)

Those four officers were kneeling on him for nine minutes, and none of them showed they have a heart or soul. This is not just murder, but a hate crime.

I shared happy memories with my uncle. Now that's all I have, our memories. I still can't pull myself together to how (ph) he has called my grandma in name. I believe my grandma was right there, with open arms, saying, Come home, Baby, you shouldn't feel this pain. No one should feel this pain.

My most favorite memory with my uncle was when he paid me to scratch his head after long days of work, when he arrived at home. We even created a song about it called, "Scratch my head, scratch my head, yeah."

(LAUGHTER)

But after that, I knew he was a comedian. He always told me, Baby girl, you're going to go so far with that beautiful smile and brains of yours. Whew.

Another favorite memory is when me and my grandmother was so worried -- I mean, she was crying -- all I remember is me saying, Granny, it's OK, we'll find a way. But I wasn't entirely sure about how we were going to get to my uncle's P.J.'s wedding. We had no way to contact anyone.

But here comes my uncle, busting through the door like superman. I was young, by the way, probably 10 or 11. My grandmother was also handicapped. And he had this big truck we had to ride in. I was wondering, how was my grandmother going to get in that truck? But he just placed her in the truck like it was light work.

I never questioned anyone's strength, but it was unbelievable, how my uncle and grandmother broke their backs to always see their children smile and made it work (ph) when it seemed impossible.

(APPLAUSE)

Quote Toupee -- I mean Tupac, I'm sorry, you all -- "Change is you see the old way wasn't working, so it's on us to do what we've got to do to survive." America, it is time for a change. Even if it shall begin with more protests, no justice, no peace. My brother and basically my other mom tells me this all the time, but God says high, but he looks low.

Thank you, Houston, it's always love in the hometown.

(APPLAUSE)

PHILONISE FLOYD, GEORGE FLOYD'S BROTHER: I really don't know what to say after my niece, but she told the whole story. But I wake up in the middle of the night, thinking about my brother, alive. Because just couldn't believe it at first. But I see it now.

All I think about is when he was yelling for Mama. And I know where our mama is, she's just right there, she's got her hands wide open, Come here, Baby. Every mama felt that.

But when he yelled, please, please, I can't breathe, I stopped wearing ties. I didn't want to wear a tie no more because I wanted to be able to breathe. I went to memorials, no tie. I could have had one on.

[14:15:00]

But right now, I want justice for my brother, my big brother. That's Big Floyd. Everybody know who Big Floyd is now. Third Ward, Cuney Homes, that's where we was born at. But we're going to be remembered. Everybody's going to remember him around the world. He is going to change the world.

(APPLAUSE)

My mom, if she was here today, I honestly can say this, that she will be on that casket right now, trying to get in there with him. She's a real mom, a real mom. She's not going to separate from anybody. She's just like animals, they cling to their mom.

I love you all. You all showed a lot of support. I love you all. I'm speechless right now.

(APPLAUSE)

CYRIL WHITE, DIRECTOR, TO GOD BE THE GLORY SPORTS: Good afternoon. My name is Cyril White, and I am the director of To God Be the Glory Sports. Before I became the director of To God Be the Glory Sports, I've met Big Floyd, I spent so many of my college summers playing basketball with him.

He had a good friend named Mike (ph) Riggs (ph) who went to work (ph) with him, and I would go pick up Mike (ph) Riggs (ph), and we would go get Big Floyd. We'd be at Nettleton Park and MacGregor Park and Sunnyside Park or wherever we can go find a good game.

Well, then, fast-forward to 1998, I started a college exhibition tour team, touring around the country, going to play different colleges and exhibition games, and Big Floyd, that was my first power forward. I would be calling around, trying to get contracts with the different schools and the coaches would ask me, Who's your big man? I would say, George Floyd. They'd say, Oh, you got Big Floyd. OK, well, your team must be pretty good. And so then we would go off and play. And not only did George play on

the team, but he recruited a lot of other guys from Third Ward and the Cuney Homes, to come and join me. And a lot of those guys got college scholarships, and some of those guys even played professionally overseas.

So it's been well-established, how much George Floyd was an avid sports fan and always about sports.

And I was sharing with Little Woo (ph) earlier this week, that I've already secured a commitment for three acres of land here in Houston to do a George Floyd memorial sports center.

(APPLAUSE)

I just kept thinking about what could I do, what could I do? And I had a lot of support from around the world, from my different sponsors. And yes, I had one guy step up and said, Hey, Cyril, I can definitely provide the real estate, we just work on the vertical improvements. So that's where we are with that.

One thing that we did -- I'm going to get out here fast -- at To God Be the Glory Sports, we read the Proverbs, that's what was our spiritual exercise to try to grow in practical wisdom as young men, we would read a chapter of Proverbs. Everybody would read two verses out loud, and then they'd pass the bible to the next guy, right?

So Sylvester Turner, our honorable mayor, said that today is George Floyd Day. So I'm going to read Proverbs, Chapter 6, the 6th -- and verse nine through 11. And this is Big Floyd speaking.

It says, "How long will you lie there, you sluggard? When will you get up from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, and poverty will come on you like a thief and scarcity like an armed man."

Well, I can definitely see how Big Floyd has woken us up out of our sleep, correct? I mean, we're all up from our sleep, we are not slumbering any more. This poverty and this scarcity, talked about in the scripture, that is how we treat each other, humanity. We are poor in humanity. We are poor in empathy.

But I can feel that everyone is going to rise, rise against the injustice and be sure that all human beings are treated the same so that George Floyd's memory will not be in vain.

[14:19:19]

To the family, thank you for allowing me to speak and share this memory about Big Floyd. And to God be the glory to you all. Thank you very much.

(APPLAUSE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You know, hearing everyone speak thus far about Big Floyd, I mean, great brother, I've got a great family on stage, great family in this church house today, (INAUDIBLE) family, extended family, Fountain of Praise Church, thank everybody.

And one thing, you know, I'm being strong for my family. And one thing about Big Floyd, he would tell me, right now, (INAUDIBLE), be strong. Just be thankful for day-to-day. And just celebrate his life in happiness. He wouldn't want us weeping so hard, but you know, I'm trying but it's very hard.

I mean, I've got so many great memories to share, stories to tell. But you know, that just gets stuck inside and again, you know, yes, no, no, no, I got it,, I got it.

(APPLAUSE)

Oh, man. But the -- one of the best -- only (ph) things on my mind -- I'll just leave it -- we've got to seek the justice out for my brother, and we going to get it, together, everyone in this church, all the great city councilmen and women in this crowd.

Thank you very much, Sheila, oh my God. Sheila Jackson Lee, thank you. Mayor Sylvester Turner, Al Green and the rest of you guys for comforting and calling us, letting us know for the last couple days and weeks, you're giving us your all, major support.

And everyone in the world, again, for the major support and love that you all are sharing and giving, inboxing, sharing these beautiful pictures, thank you guys.

And we going to keep this fight on and we going to do this together. And we all in it together, and we going to finish this together. And united we stand, and again, we're standing for George Floyd and thank everyone that came, showing love.

(APPLAUSE)

P. FLOYD: Once, one more time, his life mattered, all our lives matter. Black lives matter. His death will not be in vain. What's his name?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: George Floyd.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: George Floyd.

(APPLAUSE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: First, well, I want to give my honor and praise to God, for giving me a chance at life and meeting my little brother. For giving him his first security job. My little brother, my little brother was a friend, he was mentor, he was a father, he was a basketball player, he was a football player.

But most of all, he was a human being. And if I tell you, I never could say not to this kid, out of all the flaws and trials and tribulations that we go through, what we went through, all the times he got -- make me mad and make everybody mad, we still love him. I couldn't say no. So when the family came to me and asked me, Is you going to speak? I

will speak, I will keep on speaking, I will fight, I will fight, I will fight because I've been fighting for him, and I will keep on fighting for him.

(APPLAUSE)

You know, we ask ourselves who we meet and who we come in contact with in life. I came in contact with -- and we all came in contact with -- if you knew him, a ghetto angel, a ghetto angel. A brother.

You know, you hate evil, but you love good. And where my brother was, my little bro was good. You can't slam his name with me. You can't talk bad about him to me. Because I knew him. And if you knew Floyd, if you knew Floyd, if you know (INAUDIBLE), if you knew (INAUDIBLE), you understand the words coming out of my mouth.

(LAUGHTER)

[14:24:19]

And I ask you, fight for my brother. Help me fight for my brother, help the family fight for my brother. Because he was someone. I thank you, the family thanks you, and I will not give up on you, bro. I love you, little bro. And I got you.

(APPLAUSE)

BRADY BOB: You should be on your feet right now, giving the glory to God. Right now, get on your feet. Give him the glory. Give him the glory. Give God the glory, give Floyd the glory. Give his kids the glory. Give his family the glory.

(APPLAUSE)

To my pastor, I love you. Amir (ph), I love you, too. My frat brother, George Floyd.

Anybody in here play football for Jack Yates or went to Jack Yates?

(APPLAUSE)

Whelp (ph) the house with Jack Yates, all right (ph). We going say Cullen (ph) too, stand up.

George Floyd was an all-American tight end. George Floyd was a power forward, was my power forward, so I'm speaking on the behalf of my brother. Blood, sweat and tears, every single day, it's hot outside, it's hot in the gym. Not one time did I ever see George Floyd complain, not one time.

He without sin, cast the first stone. Huh? He without sin, cast the first stone. I hear everybody talking. You all want the real, or you all want the fake?

(CROSSTALK) BRADY BOB: You want the real today, right?

(CROSSTALK)

BRADY BOB: My brother, he's sitting here. He didn't have to be sitting here today. Those men that stood on my brother neck, changed the world. They took somebody from us that was great. When I say great, I never heard him complain, not one time.

He was an umbrella to all of us, he was 6'-6". Any rain came our way, he made sure that he could cover for us. From the Cuney home, to Jack Yates High, he was everybody's shelter, everybody's shelter. I don't care what George Floyd did, I don't care.

Let me tell you all something. He was a human being, first of all. I couldn't sleep, Monday night, I don't know why. I couldn't sleep. I was tossing and turning, Memorial Day, in my bed. I don't know why.

As I woke up the next morning and got so many texts, and I said, What? I haven't even seen the whole tape. It hurts my heart, you all. We all hurt in America right now. Am I right or wrong?

But one thing but God, but God. Because all we need, right now, in this world today, is what? Love. Turn to your neighbor and tell them you love them, right now. Turn to him right now, tell him you love him. That's all we need.

(CROSSTALK)

BRADY BOB: You see how that feel? George Floyd told me he loved me. He told everybody out here that he touched, he loved them. George Floyd is love. That's who George Floyd is, this is for him. We love him.

If you love George Floyd and you know how George Floyd was, with you, you know you're going to always be George Floyd. I am George Floyd. You are George Floyd. That could have been any one of us in here, but God, God said, Well done, Floyd.

So as I sit here and tell you all right now, George Floyd is in the bosom of God. He's in the bosom of God. He's all right, you all. So I'm here to tell you all, stay positive, America. It's a debt that you have to repay. But God said, Mm-mm, not this debt, you're going to have to repay it. This is the last.

So as I sit here and I see so many people coming together, so many races, and I say, you know what, because of the love of George Floyd, we are all here together today. So make sure you turn to your -- you never know how long we got, you all. You never know. The key is love.

[14:29:53]

I love you all, Brady Bob, I'm out.