HOUSTON — A family in Houston’s historic Third Ward converted a piece of property at the corner of Napoleon and Alabama streets into a park. The park was dedicated and named George Floyd Park in honor of the man who was murdered by a Minneapolis police officer on May 25, 2020.
“We want to give people hope,” said Houston City Council Member Carolyn Evans Shabazz. “And how perfect is it that it’s across the street from Jack Yates High School where George Floyd actually attended school.”
The Stone family donated the property that was dedicated into existence today.
“He’s not being lifted up as posterchild that didn’t make any mistakes, but he made no mistake that warranted the death that came upon him at the hands of someone else,” Shabazz said.
In the months since Floyd’s murder, the Third Ward has stepped up. A powerful tribute was painted along the street leading up to Yates High School
“But it is a testament to just how strong Houston is,” Houston Police Department Assistant Chief Larry Satterwhite said. “We are a city that will take something tragic and we will build on it and we will make it better.”
On the corner of Alabama and Napoleon lies an opportunity for more.
“I think this park is a tribute to that kind of spirit where people can come and be peaceful and they can be without violence,” Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee said.
It's a park to reflect on where we’ve been while dreaming of something better.