The video clip that sparked the worldwide outrage against the gruesome murder of George Floyd; and also aided in exposing police brutality was filmed by a brave teenager, Darnella Frazier; whom without her video clip, the death of George Floyd may not have gotten the widespread concern, recognition and attention that it accrued.
The global literary and human rights organization PEN will in December give its Beneson Courage Award; to 17-year-old Darnella Frazier, the young woman who filmed the harrowing last few seconds of the life of George Floyd.
On Tuesday, PEN America announced that Frazier will receive the award on December 8 at a virtual gala celebration for her; “sheer guts” that “changed the course of history in this country”.
“With remarkable steadiness, Darnella carried out the expressive act of bearing witness, and allowing hundreds of millions around the world to see what she saw,”; wrote PEN America CEO Suzanne Nossel.
Nossel added: “Without Darnella’s presence of mind and readiness to risk her own safety and well-being; we may never have known the truth about George Floyd’s murder.”
Darnella Frazier
On her part, Darnella Frazier expressed through her family-hired public relations specialist gratitude for her selection saying; she was “humbled to receive this award and very grateful”.
The teenager, who was described in June by her lawyer as a “17-year-old girl with a boyfriend and a job at the mall”; has reiterated that she does not want to be the hero of the tale. In May after her video went worldwide, Frazier told Star Tribune in Minnesota; “The world needed to see what I was seeing.”
