utbrality. the speakers to expect today, the family's attorney and former vice president joe biden. now, after the service george floyd will travel his last mile in a horse-drawn carriage and buried next to his mother and you will remember he cried out for her during his final moments. >> victor, this, of course, is a private service. during a public tribute floyd's brothers remembered him as a 46-year-old father whose life and the movement that he has sparked by his memory has been so impactful here in the united states. let's listen. >> if he was told he would have to sacrifice his life to bring the world together, knowing him and he would have did it. >> wow. >> again, i love this love and we're hurting as a family and, you know, george we know, unfortunately, again, he's a family man. great man. he stands for the definition of

a man because we didn't have a father figure growing up and my brother, all the steps as a human being, as a young teenager, and it makes so much sense now to me as i'm older and understood the stuff he was doing is teaching us lessons. my brother was a huge role model for a lot of people. he was the first person who everybody looked up to and our neighborhood because he was the first one to get a scholarship. to go and play basketball, football, what he wanted to did. >> i just -- i thank you all so much for coming out to support us. and all the families here with me today, michael brown, eric garner, arbery, it just hurts. breonna taylor, everybody. thank you so much. >> stay strong, my brother! >> thank you all! we will get justice. we will get it. we will not let this door close.

>> george floyd also leaves behind children, a son and two daughters. the youngest of whom is only 6 years old. and in this moment caught by floyd's friend ex-nba player steven jackson it is clear that his little girl knows what impact her father is making. >> that's right. >> daddy changed the world! >> she did what? >> daddy changed the world! >> daddy changed the world. >> daddy changed the world. let's go now to houston. cnn's omar jimenez and sara sidner are there outside the fountain of praise church. >> tell us the plan, omar, here because this is the last tribute for floyd before he's buried. >> reporter: that's right. we have gone from minnesota to north carolina and of course here to houston, texas, where he's from and just any minute now we are expecting the funeral

proceedings to begin for george floyd, a chance for the family, friends and those that knew him best to say good-bye one final time. we mentioned as you're probably seeing on the screen people are greeted with song as they make their way into the church. the guest list limited to about 500 people as we understand and it's going to see guests anywhere from the mayor sylvester turner, boxer floyd mayweather and family and friends, invited guests. after it is over, the houston police department will escort floyd's body to the final resting place, the final mile will be by horse-drawn carriage where people can line the streets and give george floyd one final sendoff making the way to what will be his final burial spot next to his mother, the very same mother he cried out for in his final moments under the knee of a police officer a little over two weeks ago to the

day. >> omar jimenez, thank you. sara, we'll talk after the service. let's go now inside the mountain of praise church for the funeral service of george floyd. ♪ >> all right. there's a break in a bit of music that's happening before the start of the service, we have heard from pastor mia kay wright that this will be a home-going celebration for george floyd, they want to remember his name, the man that he was. his contributions to the people

who will be there long before the rest of the world learned his name but also to hear civil right leaders and his brother saying we will not let this door close. brianna, a portion of what we will hear is a call for a reform of social justice and a call to change policing practices. >> that's right. his death can't be in vain. i think that's what we're hearing so much from those who knew him well. they're suffering a tremendous loss as they have this final good-bye to their friend and brother and son and they want to make sure that the changes that we have seen here in the last couple weeks persist. it is very important for this family and also for all of the families there to support the floyd family, victor. >> indeed it is. while we have this moment, let's check back in with sara sidner.

we heard a bit of the mention of the other names, the families joined this somber fraternity of having lost their loved ones to similar violence and many of them will be there today. who will be there showing their support? >> reporter: they came yesterday, as well. to pay their respects to george floyd. but also, to stand in solidarity with the floyd family. it was quite a tearful moment to see all of these families standing with one another, all of them african-american families through this before, who have felt this pain themselves and who have been in the spotlight, the national spotlight because of what happened to their loved one and most of them police shootings. we talk about who will be here. michael brown's father will be high, michael brown senior, breonna taylor's mother is here, the mother of eric garner, the first person that the world heard the words i can't breathe and where that caught on across the nation and to hear from his

mother and to hear her say i was hoping that my son would be the last to have to utter those words underneath a police hold, it broke her down to think that someone else's family to go through this, as well. we heard those words so many times, also the family of ahmaud arbery is here and seen that terrifying video of his final moments. so many people through this and to see the families come together was both powerful and sorrowful to have to say good-bye yet again to another black man in america whose life was taken by a police officer. >> omar, tell us. this is, of course, houston. we saw the initial memorial take place in minneapolis. george floyd has ties to many areas. he loved minneapolis. but houston was home. talk to us about why this is so

special, such a special place for him and his family. >> reporter: for him to be able to come back here to where he grew up in the 3rd ward in houston hearing from the people that knew him at that time, a friend and former nba player steven jackson they joke about how they first met each other because they felt like they were twins and where their relationship started going back to the neighborhood where they were here growing up and then as we understand i spoke to roxy washington, the mother of george floyd's 6-year-old daughter and told me that george moved to minneapolis from houston to try to find work and provide for their family, a family she says he was very much present for and living there for years until what we saw unfold a little over two weeks ago now but the pride of him being from here evident in the thousands that showed up yesterday, people came dressed in masks and hats donning houston shirts wearing joernl

floyd and some ways you talk about the tragedy of the death in this but this is also seemed to be the spark of the birth of a movement we are seeing and the push for long-term police reform in places across the country and while the death happened in minneapolis, the energy seems to stem from here in houston. it is a special place for the family and those that knew him even well before this happened and there is no more fitting place for this to play out than here in houston. >> sara, we saw in the thousands, more than 6,000 there, who streamed through yesterday, a mix of those who knew him and those who have now joined this global call for change. floyd killed on memorial day. since then what we have seen just remarkable, not just in the big cities, small cities, in the u.s. and across this world. >> reporter: yeah. there is something that is different. i have been covering these issues between black folks and police for many, many years, for

cnn and before cnn, and i will tell you that in every single case there's always been this spark of a moment and then that is turned into a movement. the black lives matter movement but i have never seen the response we have seen from what happened to george floyd. the response has been remarkable and that's what's different here. because the response wasn't just coming from people who went out to march in the streets from black folks and white folks that decided they couldn't take this anymore but came from the police chiefs of this country and it's come from the governors of this country and some of the political leaders of this country who we haven't heard from in the past. i was able to speak with the police chief here, and he said very plainly that there has to be a change in our departments and he talked about his own. he says i can't guarantee that this will never happen again. what i can guarantee is we have to make reforms in the police departments. when there are police officers

who do not do their jobs well and the community knows that and expresses that they need to be out instead of stay in. he says a loft police officers are good, honest people just trying to do their jobs but the truth is that there are folks in the department and the way that they're trained and the way that they respond to the training just plain wrong and that has to change. we heard from the governor greg abbott who said that george floyd has changed the world. because he is also calling for police reform. you don't hear that from both sides of the aisle every single time. this time, you heard that plain and clear, republican, democrat, someone in the streets, someone is a ceo. you heard that from all different walks of life in 50 states. and that i have never seen before in this country. >> we have never seen that. it is curious and what's still stands to i guess figure out is how all of those people are

going to come to any sort of agreement on how to move forward. right? where do they take what happened to george floyd and, look, all of these other families who are there and experienced this same pain as the floyd family, where do they go from here? if you can stand by for us, you are there in houston at the service, i want to bring in now our political commentator van jones, also a former obama administration official and laura coates, former federal prosecutor and cnn senior legal analyst. she is barred in minnesota where george floyd was killed by police. the minneapolis city council, laura, is vowing to defund and dismantle their police department and actually, van, if i can ask you this, instead of proposing a new system of public safety, when folks say defund the police, van, people think there's no more police ever. explain to us what defunding means and also kind of what the

range of meanings on this are. >> it's a new slogan so it's going to mean different things to different people. i think the people advancing the slogan what they mean is they want to rebalance some of the funding in cities and actually law enforcement should embrace an element of this. right now you have police asked to do everything, stripped out the social support, the social and youth programs defunded over the years and police officers have to be cops, counselors, marriage counselors, coaches. it is too much on them and their budgets have ballooned so now just the overtime budget for a police officer's sometimes bigger than the social services budget for kids so what they're saying is take the money away from police departments that are being asked to do too much and taking up too much money and put those dollars to better use in communities. if you want safe streets and peaceful neighborhoods, rebalance it. saying defund, i think some

people are alarmed. double click and look at the activists pshi activists pushing it forward. we need to take some of the dollars that are being put on overtime for cops doing stuff that's not a cop's job and putting it toward actual social workers, youth counselors and jobs for people for safer streets. >> an idea of what you are seeing here on the screen, this is the family of george floyd being led in. you saw for a moment there the reverend al sharpton who will be delivering the eulogy today. his family all in white being led to the front of this sanctuary. laura, let me come to you about these calls for reforms in departments. we have seen some policy movement in minneapolis and some cities across the country but do you expect we'll see significant change in other major cities and how sustainable this moment is?

>> it would depend on whether the house bills proposed recently as yesterday would actually gain some traction in the senate and be able to articulate a national standard. you are seeing across the country a concerted effort by protesters who are seeking justice for george floyd that it be a comprehensive look at the police system and our criminal justice system. keith ellison, the attorney general in minnesota, clearly stated although he is invested in the criminal prosecution of these four officer that is's but a sliver of what needs to happen in the overall pie and quest towards reform in this country and has to be in many ways a comprehensive take, legislatively, at the judicial branch as well, examination of qualified immunity. justice thomas and sotomayor rarely on the same page on issues talking about a re-evaluation of qualified immunity and holding police to a different level of accountability or transparency

in the effort and you have to look at the executive branch, as well. the job to enforce the law without favor to one over the other. about the consent decree to take place and be instituted rolled back by jeff sessions in a last act of duty before he was released from his post and so a lot of it has to be about questioning whether it could be implemented, whether or not there's a holistic effort and interest by members of congress and state and local and across the branches. >> we're watching here as the floyd family entered the fountain of praise church and you can see as they're talking there to al sharpton. let's listen in. ♪

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♪ ♪ >> you're watching members of george floyd's family come to view floyd and then take their seats at his funeral service in houston at the fountain of praise church. you see on the left of your screen the reverend al sharpton to eulogize floyd. you can see just over the shoulder of congresswoman sheila jackson lee who represents houston. we were having a conversation of police reforms but i want to

pause that for a moment and just talk about this family, bring back omar jimenez and sara sidner outside covering this now for weeks. omar, let me start with you. we have covered, unfortunately, so many of these families who have been thrust into the center of a national and in this case global conversation and the dignity and strength with which this family has approached this unwanted role is really remarkable. over the last several days and weeks. after losing george floyd in such a monstrous way. >> reporter: that's right, victor. it's been a very painful two weeks for the family here because not only are they grieving within themselves, they also have the eyes of the world and reporters reaching out to them trying to get their story out there in the midst of them

trying to process this all to begin with because let's remember with the movements that this has created and the pushes that has spurred on at the center this is a family that lost a father, that lost a brother, and lost a loved one at the least and speaking to roxy washington was one of the people i spoke with over the course of the past few weeks, she is the mother of george floyd's 6-year-old daughter and one of the most painful moments for her walking out to do a press conference in minneapolis was about her saying that gianna their daughter would not have a father to walk her down the aisle, to go through graduation with her. some of those key father/daughter moments that you would have are now gone. and that's when someone like steven jackson, a friend and former nba player of george floyd, he said he is going to try to fill that role and make sure the daughter has the life that she would have had with george floyd here, with the

provider that the family says that he was over the course of this. so again, with the eyes of the world and this being the center of a movement we are seeing toward larger police reform, a family is still hurting and there is a gap that still needs to be filled and seeing some of those intersections of pain play out hearing from the family members speak. >> reporter: i want to jump in and say that in 2014, you know, i was in the streets as people for 100 days protested the death of michael brown. in the police shooting there. and the ferguson police department and we have seen the families over time, this isn't a new movement. anyone who has been in america for long enough knows this isn't new but it is different. and to see this change happening because of this case, the reason why this has changed and if you talk to people about why is this sparking a different kind of

cord, families have been through the pain and seen it now with this, right? this has told us a lot of what's going on between black folks and police. the worst of it to be honest. but what we have seen in this case is there was no question about the before and the after. in all the other cases there was always an argument that before what you saw on camera there was something else going on that caused the reaction by police officers. in this case, we watched the before on the security cameras and we saw the before and after on a cell phone. a bystander decided that she was going to make sure that she recorded this because she saw something that was absolutely wrong in her mind as she was watching it happen. without all that we wouldn't be having this conversation but what is changed in this case is the before and after captured on video and people could just not have an excuse for what happened in this particular case. and i think that is the crux of

what has happened to spark people not just in america but thousands, tens of thousands of people in germany and london came out after seeing what they saw. no one can deny that what happened there was inhumane. and that should never happen in any country. >> talking, sara, to people one of the things i have heard them say is they saw videos before, they thought they were appalling, as well. they took for granted to be so appalling that things would change and then here you see what happened to george floyd two weeks ago and it became very clear that they couldn't believe it up to other people to make sure that things changed. i have heard so many people talking about what they want for their children. right? the kind of life they want their children to be able to lead and what they want their children to have, whether they're white or

black. that they shouldn't have to be continuing the same fights for justice that their parents did. and you know, one of the things, sara, watching this service here that strikes me so much is the inclusivity of this family. victor pu victor put it so well when he said the dignity they have shown as they walk through this path of pain. right? but they're also bringing in, they know the difference, the attention that george floyd brought to these issues and they are inviting the world in to look, sara, and to join in this celebration of his life. it's amazing. it is remarkable. >> reporter: it is. it is remarkable but i want to say that so many families have done this, have been dignified and i don't think we can even put that sort of pressure on these families. these families are suffering so if they're dignified or not doesn't matter. they want people to see that

suffering because they want it to end for the next person in this country. >> let's bring back van jones. you have helped families in this situation, this position after a police killing or by a vigilante in other cases. talking to me about those conversations and what the goals are of those families as we watch this one invite the country into this moment. >> you know, it's almost impossible to understand what it means to kiss your loved one good-bye, text them, say something to them on the phone and then an hour later to find out that this person has been killed unarmed by law enforcement. suddenly your life is completely different in every way. first of all, that person is gone but before you can even process that you've got to become overnight an expert in

police procedure. overnight an expert in media management. overnight an expert in being a grief counselor to people who are in your family. overnight. but the bills still have to get paid. there's still, you know, diapers that have to be changed. it is an unbelievable crucible that people are forced through and the miracle at least within the black community which is where i've done most of my work is that somehow people find the strength beyond strength to get through this. and to hold their heads up and to tell their stories and to try to get justice in their case and for more. it does break some families. it does break some people. it is -- we are not sub human and we are not superhuman. we are just human beings. we are just human beings trying to get through the goddamn day and when this stuff happens the expectation on us, we know from

our grand parents and parents and our great grand parents the dignity that's expected of us and impossible situations that rosa parks dignity, that nelson mandela dignity. that michelle obama dignity on as a cloak to not do anything to quote/unquote shame the race and show that family, they deserved it. yet, whether the cameras go away and when the bills get passed or usually when they don't get passed, when the jury comes back usually with the wrong verdict, you still have all of that pain to manage. and so, you know, again, i agree with sara. this is not a new movement or situation but it is not new. look in the eyes of those folks and remember that year from now, ten years from now, 20 years from now they are still going to be suffering as a family no matter what happens and what america does but please let's not let this death be in vain.

we have a new continent of common ground that something needs to be done and i pray that our elected officials, media folks, law enforcement folks, republican folks, democratic folks will put in place the measures to make sure that we have checks and balances in law enforcement. this should stop happening. no more of these videos, no more funerals. thbd not be a feature of american life. >> i think my hope, van, is that as this family looks around, this is really third service they have had and they see the people coming out for george floyd that they see people who wish that they could carry some of their pain for them. and i think the question will be how far are they? how long are they going to carry some of that pain that the floyd family is experiencing? and when it comes to racial injustice, when it comes to systemic racism in education, in

commerce, in employment what is that going to mean? so let's listen in in houston to this final service for george floyd. ♪ ♪ ♪

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♪ >> amen! amen. you may be seated. we certainly give honor to god who's the head of our lives and greet each and every one of you watching by way of television or stream, those of you that are here to observe the home going celebration of brother george floyd and certainly let me say to this family our hearts are with you, our prayers are with you. we trust that god will strengthen you. the hymn says in times like these we need a savior and times like these we need an anchor. be very sure that your anchor holds and grips the solid rock. >> pastor wright, we want to bring greetings to everyone within the sanctuary walls and those watching via stream or a platform today. i'm reminded of the psalmist

that wrote these words in a too many of trouble and said this poor man called out. and the lord heard him and he saved him out of all of his troubles. the angel of the lord encamped around those who fear him and he delivers them. and then this word is what helps me and blesses me in such a manner that i can never move out of my pain without remembering this, that the lord is close to the brokenhearted and he saves those who are crushed in spirit. psalms 34:6, 7 and 18 will give you hope to the floyd family and to all that are here, to the members, to all of the people, to the clergy and the leaders of faith in our community who are here, dignitaries and to everyone who's taken time to join us by stream, we are all connected. >> that's right. that's right.

>> this is a moment of connectivity. this is a moment by which god has gathered people all around the world to connect us around the life of the brother george perry floyd. listen. today there's a few thing that is we want to encourage you to expect. can we help you today? we expect you to keep your mask on within the sanctuary and if anyone is in distress stop into or raise your hand and the ushers will be watching to make sure to assist you but in the tradition of the african-american church this will be a home going celebration. >> that's right. >> i want to say it again. this will be a home going celebration of brother george floyd's life. >> you know what that means. that means foot stomping, shouting, praising god. amen? because we are celebrating his life. but just before we begin this home going celebration, let me just thank publicly all of those people that helped to make this

come to pass. i want to begin with esquire benjam benjamin crump. thank you for watching over this family. in times of devastation someone has to stand up and take the lead and thank god that you have done just that, brother. and then the reverend al sharpton, thank you through north carolina and minnesota sounding the trumpet and letting people know this is about injustice and we want to serve justice served and then locally our mayor and mayor pro tem who did a wonderful job of making resources of this city available, to have the reviewing yesterday. as a matter of fact, we had a viewing yesterday with tens of thousands of people that came through the doors and it came off without a hitch because we made sure hpd was here and the fire department was here and people were here, emt specialists were here. people here from everywhere giving out water. for those of you that donated

your services, resources we want to thank you on behalf of this family. we thank you, thank you, thank you. to brother george anderson of this church and brother dallas jones working together in tandem, to make sure everything was pulled together, thank you. this is an enormous task. this is a gigantic responsibility. and for people that look at it and think, well, you know, i wouldn't have done it this way. you don't know if you had this many people, this many people funneling through your doors but thank god we didn't have any problems. everybody was respectful, sensitive to what the family is facing and we're just glad to know that we have such a great team here in houston. and so for me i think it's time for us to have church. >> it is time for us to celebrate his life. we may weep, mourn, we'll be comforter and find hope. that is for sure. we want to follow the program

that is already printed but for those that do not have a program the musical selection is led by pastor kimbarel and the singers who blessed us already and so delighted to have them here. reverend arthur rucker of fountain of praise will do the old testament reading and reverend of greater st. matthew church and mary white who leads the prison ministry here at the fountain of praise will offer prayer of comfort to the family. >> and after a video montage and asking them to come now. someone say aman. ♪

>> as historical as this is we recognize it's a real family with real feelings. there are a lot of us in here who sat in that position and it hurt. i want you to know the moment that the world announced that george floyd had left the earth physically, we became family. everyone in this room if we can just center our love around this family because i know what it means to hurt, to have a loved one to leave. so we stand here and celebrate his life. but i want to leave you with these words. ♪ be not dismayed ♪ whatever whatever ♪ or tired ♪ ♪ god will i know he will take care ♪

♪ of you ♪ beneath his wings i know of love abides ♪ ♪ remember god will he will take care of you ♪ when all of this is silent ♪ remember god will take care take care of you ♪ ♪ through every day along life's narrow way ♪

♪ when you get sad he will he will take care of you ♪ ♪ god will i know he will he will take care of you ♪ with the family, one last thing -- ♪ all you may need just remember he will ♪ ♪ he will provide ♪ because he will i wish i had somebody who knows that he will take care ♪

♪ of you ♪ here's what you got to do ♪ trust him and you will be saved ♪ ♪ satisfied ♪ i believe and witness god will he will he will take care of you ♪ ♪ god will i know he will ♪ ♪ he will take care of you ♪ through everything ♪ along life's narrow way when you feel discouraged ♪ ♪ remember he will

god will take care of you ♪ ♪ you you you ♪ god will i know you're going through right now but god will ♪ ♪ i know you're going through pain right now ♪ ♪ but god will he will he will take care of you ♪ lift your head up and remember this, children. ♪ be not dismayed ♪ whatever whatever whenever you're tired my brother god will i know he will ♪ ♪ he'll take care of you of you of you of you ♪ ♪ here's where you can find

strength ♪ ♪ beneath his wings ♪ you of love you can abide ♪ ♪ there's love under his wings children of god ♪ ♪ god will take good care of you ♪ encourage somebody next to you even though we're in a pandemic. ♪ i know god will take care of you ♪ ♪ yes he will do everything ♪ come what may i know he will see you through ♪ ♪ oh oh oh oh ♪ i know he will ♪ god will god will take care of you ♪ ♪ god will come on

take care ♪ come on. encourage your neighbor and tell him don't give up on god because he won't give up on you ♪ ♪ encourage a spirit. ♪ god will take care of you ♪ ♪ he'll see you through ♪ i know he will ♪ i said he will do it oh god's children ♪ ♪ come on take good care snoi♪ ♪ he will take care of you ♪ don't give up on god ♪ god will see you through ♪ god will take care of you ♪ god will do it for you ♪ beneath his wings ♪ god will i said i know he will ♪

♪ all you got to do is trust him all you got to do is hold on ♪ ♪ god will take care of you i said god will ♪ ♪ god will take good care ♪ take good care of you ♪ i said he will do it ♪ take good care of you he will ♪ >> god bless you, floyd family. ♪ ♪

♪ god will ♪ >> giving honor to the family of george floyd. to the dignitarys that are in the house and to all of the clergy and to the great pastor of this house, we offer you the reading of the word in the old testament according to the book of amos, chapter 5, beginning in verse 16. therefore, the lord, the god of host, the lord, sayeth thus. wailing shall be in all the streets and they shall all say

in all the highways alas, alas, and they shall all call the farmer to mourning and such as are skillful in lamentatian so i will pass through thee. so one who deliver the day of the lord to what end is it for you? the day of the lord is darkness and not light. it is this -- it is as if a man flee from a lion and then a bear met him. or went into the house and leaned his happened on the wall and a serpent bit him. shall not the day of the lord be darkness and not light even very dark and no brightness in it? i hate and despise your feast and will not take the light in the assemblies though you offer me offerings and the meal offerings, i will not except them. accept them. neither will i regard the peace offerings, take away from me the

noise of the song for i will not hear the melody of your harps but let justice run down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream and this is the word of the lord. thanks be unto god. ♪ >> to the floyd family, pastor booker would want you to know that we're still praying for you. we want you to know that god has made himself available to the

person of jesus christ to help you in times like these. god bless you. first thessalonians chapter 4 beginning at verse 13. but i would not have you to be ignorant brethren concerning them which are asleep that you sorrow not even to others that have no hope for if we believe that jesus died and rose again even so them also which sleep in jesus will god bring with him. for this we say unto you by the word of the lord that we which are alive and remain until the coming of the lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. for the lord himself sha