On May 25, 2020, George Floyd was lynched by the Minneapolis Police Department. In response to this atrocity, people protested all over the world–but not everyone. There were some youth that did not receive the privilege to lift their voices…until now. The George Floyd Global Memorial introduces “Voices of the Unheard.” This exhibit was designed by entering into the classrooms of black youth, retelling the events of the 2020 Uprising to the students, and allowing them to choose a protest sign that resonates with how they feel.
The protest signs you see in this exhibit have been intentionally selected by over 120 youth at Harvest Best Academy and Anoka High School Multicultural Perspectives Course. While some of the kids participated in the 2020 Uprising, most of them did not. Some of the kids were just finishing 2nd grade during the protests. Three years later, these youth still have a voice. They still have feelings. They still have observations about the world we live in. Yet their voices, feelings, and observations often go unheard. This exhibit creates space to lift up the voices of youth through the language of the protest. Navigating hundreds of offerings, they chose the pieces that matter to them.
When you walk through this exhibit you are experiencing both the voices of original protesters and the voices of this next generation who found language through the offerings to express what they are feeling. Each piece amplifies the voice of a young person who deserves to be heard. We invite you to listen and learn from our youth.
