Minneapolis’ George Floyd Square’s Sign Instructs Whites to ‘Decenter Themselves’

A makeshift memorial set up in Minneapolis called “George Floyd Square” has a set of instructions for whites, telling them to “decenter themselves.”

The cross section of East 38th Street and Chicago Avenue, where a bystander caught on camera the now-viral video of former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin kneeling on Floyd’s neck, was converted into a makeshift memorial after Floyd’s death and called “George Floyd Square.”

A sign near the entrance to the square calls it “A Sacred Space for Community, Public Grief, and Protest.”

White people about to enter George Floyd square are given special instructions pic.twitter.com/3gzpwqUmtS

— Matt Finn (@MattFinnFNC) April 21, 2021

The sign notes that “Floyd took his last breath” under Chauvin’s knee. Chauvin was found guilty of multiple charges, including second-degree murder, in connection with Floyd’s death.

It encourages visitors to “honor the space as a place to connect and grieve as caring humans.” But it also includes a separate section for white people who visit the space.

“Decenter yourself and come to listen, learn, mourn, and witness,” the sign reads. “Remember you are here to support, not to be supported.”

White people are requested to “contribute to the energy of the space” instead of draining it.

Floyd’s death set off anti-police demonstrations last summer and poured flames on the racial equality debate in America’s justice system.

Chauvin’s guilty verdict brought a sigh of relief to many demonstrators, but many still feel there is a long road ahead to achieving racial equality in the U.S.