“All mothers were summoned when George Floyd called out for his momma”
“All mothers were summoned when George Floyd called out for his momma” is a saying that has been printed on many images.The original sign (white, red and blue letters on cardboard) was made by Rachel Costa for a protest in Fayetteville, Arkansas, on June 2, 2020.
On May 25, 2020, George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, died in Minneapolis, Minnesota, after white police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck for almost nine minutes. Floyd cried out “I can’t breathe!” and “Mama, I’m through!” His mother had died two years earlier.
Rachel Costa explained her sign to the blog Motherly on June 4, 2020.
Wikipedia: Killing of George Floyd
On May 25, 2020, George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, died in Minneapolis, Minnesota, after white police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck for almost nine minutes while Floyd was handcuffed and lying face down on the street. Two other officers further restrained Floyd, who had been arrested on suspicion of using a counterfeit bill, and a fourth prevented onlookers from intervening:6:24 as Floyd begged for his life and repeatedly said “I can’t breathe”. During the final three minutes Floyd was motionless and had no pulse, but the officers ignored onlookers’ pleas that Chauvin remove his knee from Floyd’s neck, which he did not do even as arriving medics attempted to treat Floyd.
Wikipedia: George Floyd protests
The George Floyd protests are an ongoing series of protests and demonstrations against police brutality and racism in policing. The protests began in Minneapolis on May 26, 2020, following the death of George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, after Derek Chauvin, a white police officer, knelt on Floyd’s neck for almost nine minutes during an arrest the previous day.
The unrest began as local protests in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area of Minnesota before quickly spreading across the United States and internationally in support of Black Lives Matter. While the majority of protests have been peaceful, demonstrations in some cities descended into riots and widespread looting, with more being marked by street skirmishes and significant police brutality, notably against peaceful protesters and reporters. At least twelve major cities declared a curfew on the evening of May 30, and as of June 2, governors in 24 states and Washington, D.C, had activated over 17,000 National Guard personnel due to the mass unrest.
The New Yorker
An American Uprising
Who, really, is the agitator here?
By David Remnick
May 31, 2020
(...)
On May 25th, he was arrested, accused of trying to pass a fake twenty-dollar bill to a clerk at Cup Foods. Not long after encountering officers from the Minneapolis Police Department, he was face-down on the street; a white police officer named Derek Chauvin dug his knee into his neck and kept it there while three other officers stood guard. In videos taken by onlookers, Floyd begs for mercy. He calls out for his dead mother: “Mama, I’m through!” He tries to get the attention of bystanders, saying, “They’re killing me, man.” He says, “I can’t breathe!” This was the repeated plea, six years ago, of Eric Garner, a black man arrested for allegedly selling loose cigarettes on the street and put in a chokehold by police.
Facebook
Rachel Costa is with Morgan Middlebrooks and Carmen Perry Gardner.
June 2, 2020 at 8:19 PM
(The sign is shown.—ed.)
Twitter
Overly Friendly Black Hottie
@mlle_cherie
i just saw a sign that said “all mothers were summoned when George Floyd called out for his momma” and listennn my spirit SHIFTED because the mom in me was definitely on go mode Smiling face with horns
8:18 AM · Jun 3, 2020·Twitter for iPhone
Twitter
Milli…
@MilliBabyyy
I just seen a post that said!!
All mothers were summoned when George Floyd called out for his Mother !!!
9:00 AM · Jun 3, 2020·Twitter for iPhone
Twitter
Jori
@shapeofmemory
ALL MOTHERS WERE SUMMONED WHEN GEORGE FLOYD CRIED OUT FOR HIS MOMMA. #NoJusticeNoPeace
9:16 AM · Jun 3, 2020·Twitter for iPhone
Twitter
jESS ♡
@JLynn_XoXoX
“ALL mothers were summoned when George Floyd called out for his Momma.”
(The sign is shown.—ed.)
11:45 AM · Jun 3, 2020·Twitter for Android
Twitter
Tarynne Martin
@tarynne_martin
This sign is from the Fayetteville, AR protest last night. I cry every time I think about this, can’t imagine my baby boy calling out for me in his last moments. Heartbreaking. #BlackLivesMatter #georgefloyd
(The sign is shown.—ed.)
11:55 AM · Jun 3, 2020·Twitter for Android
Twitter
𝕥𝕠𝕟𝕪 𝕤𝕥𝕒𝕣𝕜 ⎊
@heyyitsjanea
this sign made me want to cry
(The sign is shown.—ed.)
1:21 PM · Jun 3, 2020·Twitter for iPhone
Twitter
Mohamad Safa
@mhdksafa
ALL mothers were summoned when George Floyd called out for his mother.
3:40 PM · Jun 3, 2020·Twitter for iPhone
Twitter
megan
@meganmuircoyle
Sign by Rachel Costa, photo by Alissa Eason. From Fayetteville’s protest earlier this week.
(The sign is shown.—ed.)
4:34 PM · Jun 3, 2020·Twitter for iPhone
Twitter
Shirley Scott
@Golf54deciple
What a powerful sign…
It says: “ALL mothers were summoned when George Floyd called out for his momma.”
Original post found here:
Roy Fernandez Fernandez’s post on Liker - Roy Fern
Beautifully said!
d.liker.com
7:57 PM · Jun 3, 2020·Twitter for iPad
Motherly
When George Floyd called out for his mama, mothers everywhere answered
Diana Spalding June 04, 2020
(...)
Recently released footage revealed that George Floyd used his finals breaths to call for his mother. “Mama,” he called. “Mama. I’m through.”
Somewhere in the depths of his being, he believed that somehow, someway, his mother could help him in his last, horrifying moments. Because isn’t that ultimately what everyone believes in their core? My mother will always come.
But Mr. Floyd’s mother couldn’t come—she died two years ago.
(...)
Rachel Costa, mother to a 9-year-old boy, created this viral poster that mamas around the world feel deeply in their souls.
Twitter
Jennifer Tran
@jbhtran
Rachel Costa’s words on her protest sign in Fayetteville, AR were so impactful that I made these to put on a shirt. If anyone else wants to wear this in allyship, here are the files. #BlackLivesMattter
https://tinyurl.com/costalightbkg
https://tinyurl.com/costadarkbkg
10:47 AM · Jun 7, 2020 from Mississauga, Ontario·Twitter for iPhone