PhiloniseO’NeilFloyd

“FUTURE OF BLACK AMERICA” PANELIST

“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

On June 20, 1981, Philonise O’Neil Floyd was the fourth child born to the late Mrs. Larcenia “Ms. Cissy” Jones on Fort Hood army base. Raised in the Third Ward area of Houston, Texas. He attended Jack Yates High School and Texas Southern University pursuing a degree in Criminal Justice. In 2014, Floyd started his professional driving career with C. R. England, one of the nation’s largest refrigerated carriers; later accepted a position with W. M. Dewy and Son, Inc. hauling custom pipes to their specific destinations.

On May 26, 2020, Floyd learned that his older brother, George “Perry” Floyd, Jr. had been murdered by four police officers in Minneapolis after a store clerk alleged that he passed a counterfeit $20 bill. The world watched as named officer, Derek Chauvin knelt on George’s neck for 9 minutes and ½ minutes.

Globally, George’s death sparked a world-wide outpour of protests. The day after laying George to rest, June 10, 2020, Philonise testified before the United States Congress urging them to “Do the right thing” by passing H.R. 1280 - George Floyd Justice in Police Act of 2021 baring choke holds, creating a registry to track officers with serious misconduct records, and lift certain legal protections that now makes it hard to go after officers in court for using excessive force.

Philonise’s life as a professional transporter drastically changed forever. Committed to “Turning our pain, into Purpose” Philonise vowed that George’s death would not be in vain, another hashtag on a t-shirt and begun to tirelessly advocate to change systematic racism. This became the birth of The Philonise and Keeta Floyd Institute for Social Change, PAKFISC, to address challenges faced due to police injustice that has for over 400 years led to the harassment and killing of African Americans at the hands of police.