XS10 Magazine - Jan 2021

Page 20

SELWYN JONES Justice for George 846 Could you please tell us a little bit about yourself? My name is Selwyn Jones. I grew up in rural NC. My parents were sharecroppers. We were extremely poor. I grew up in a house with no indoor plumbing, and no bathroom. We had a pump, outside, to haul water from. I remember having to use bathwater after somebody else had used it. We ate ham, that we salted, after we cut the worms out of it. Growing up, I learned about racism early in life. I learned how people were treated differently by the color of their skin or what they did or didn’t have. Football was my escape. It gave me an outlet to be able to come to the Midwest, where I met my wife. With my strong work ethics, I have worked hard enough to purchase a beautiful home, and a motel. We are raising our two young children in central South Dakota. As of May 25th, 2020 I am an activist for justice and equality. I have to change the world for my babies and for all. How are you related to George Floyd? I am George’s uncle, my sister Mrs. Larcenia Floyd is his mother. She is affectionately known by our family as “Cissy”. Unfortunately she departed this life in 2018.

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What type of relationship did you and George have throughout his life? George and I were actually like a big brother, younger brother during his formative years. He was nine years younger than me and our interactions were

that of mentor and a mentee, I was not old enough to be nor was I trying to be his father. What are some of your fondest memories of George? He could be a “knuckle” head sometimes, however; he was a sincere genuine loving person, he would do whatever he could to assist his family and friends in their life struggles, he was a heck of an athlete, and full of joy and laughter, he never met a person he did not like. What were your initial feelings when you received the news of George’s death on May 25, 2020? My feelings were all over the place, there was; sadness, anger, frustration, confusion, disgust, disbelief and most of all heart break and pain. How have those feelings changed over the past 7 months? These feelings are very much present and at this point I am dealing with the void, dealing with the hate filled way in which his life was taken, grappling with how someone could intentionally, murder another human being and act as if they are kneeling at the alter for prayer instead of kneeling on a person’s neck. How do you feel about the international attention received concerning this incident? Obviously, I feel that an occurrence such as this should never have taken place. I do however; appreciate


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