His Name Is George Floyd: One mans life and the struggle for racial justice

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Written by two award-winning reporters with unprecedented access, this is the only definitive biography of George Floyd. The murder of George Floyd sparked a fiery summer of activism and unrest all over the world in 2020, with peaceful protests sometimes erupting into violent clashes. From Shetland to Sao Paolo, from Honolulu to Hobart, people marched under the Black Lives Matter banner, decrying Floyd's death and demanding an end to racial injustice. The movement has led corporations to redouble their efforts, universities to refocus on inclusion, and government officials to examine the causes of systemic inequality. Drawing on The Washington Post's unrivalled archives, in-depth reporting and award-winning series on Floyd, His Name Is George Floyd is a definitive biography that dives deep into the myriad ways that structural racism shaped Floyd's life and death. Telling his personal story within the context of America's troubled race history, it features fresh and exclusive reporting as well as unparalleled access to Floyd's family and the people who were closest to the man whose name has become one of the most recognized on the planet. By zooming in for an intimate portrait of this one, emblematic life, while also pulling back to profile the institutions that shaped it, the authors deliver a powerful exploration of institutional racism and of a public reckoning of unprecedented breadth and intensity.

Reviews

Since we know George Floyd's death with tragic clarity, we must know Floyd's America - and life - with tragic clarity. His Name Is George Floyd is essential for our times. -- Ibram X. Kendi, author of How to Be an Antiracist
'In this age of misinformation, where the victims of police killings are made out to be the problem, this humanising of Floyd is necessary... Samuels and Olorunnipa's greatest triumph is placing Floyd's life in the context of white supremacy.' * Observer *
An intimate, unvarnished and scrupulous account of his life...brilliantly revealing. * New York Times *
Detailed, vivid and moving. * Washington Post *
A wondrous feat of vivid writing and deep reporting, from the way it leads the reader through George Floyd's final fateful day on earth to its masterly account of Floyd's hopes and frustrations in the larger context of race in America. -- David Maraniss, author of Barack Obama: The Story

Author Bio

Robert Samuels (Author) Robert Samuels is a national political enterprise reporter at The Washington Post. He has traveled across the United States over the course of three presidencies to write human stories about politics, race and the changing American identity. Toluse Olorunnipa (Author) Toluse Olorunnipa is a political enterprise reporter for The Washington Post and a CNN analyst. Reporting from five continents and more than forty states during three presidencies, he has documented the real-world impact of the White House and federal policy on underserved communities.