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darnella frazier

Source: Darnella Frazier / Instagram

On Friday (June 11), Darnella Frazier, the teenager who filmed the video of George Floyd‘s murder at the hands of Minneapolis police, was awarded a 2021 Pulitzer Prize Special Citation.

The board selected Frazier “for courageously recording the murder of George Floyd, a video that spurred protests against police brutality around the world, highlighting the crucial role of citizens in journalists’ quest for truth and justice.”

|| RELATED: I’m Not Who I Used To Be: Darnella Frazier Reflects One Year Later ||

|| RELATED: Tensions Spark After Minneapolis Officials Move To Clear George Floyd Square ||

Frazier was 17 years old when she recorded Derek Chauvin and other officers restraining Floyd on the ground. Her cell phone footage of the fatal encounter helped change the narrative surrounding Floyd’s death and sparked a wave of protests around the world.

On the one year anniversary of Floyd’s death, Frazier said the events she witnessed that day have forever changed the way she views the world.

“This is my truth.” She captioned the post. “1 year anniversary. Rest in peace to George Floyd.”

 

“A year ago today I witnessed a murder,” she began. The victim’s name was George Floyd. Although this wasn’t the first time, I’ve seen black men get killed at the hands of police, this is the first time I witnessed it happen in front of me. Right in front of my eyes, a few feet away. I didn’t know this man from a can of paint, but I knew his life mattered. I knew that he was in pain. I knew that he was another Black man in danger with no power.”

Frazier continues on the path toward her own healing. The teen has dealt with anxiety attacks, bouts of depression and the deterioration of her mental health since that fateful day. Some even went so far as to attack the teen for not doing more to assist Floyd as he struggled for breath.

“I am 18 now and I still hold the weight and trauma of what I witnessed a year ago. It’s a little easier now, but I’m not who I used to be,” she wrote.

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