George Floyd statue unveiled outside City Hall in Newark
NEWARK, New Jersey (WABC) -- The city of Newark is paying tribute to George Floyd with a new statue in front of City Hall.
Mayor Ras Baraka, actor and filmmaker Leon Pickney and artist Stanley Watts unveiled the 700-pound bronze statue on Wednesday afternoon.
The statue was commissioned by Pickney, sculpted by Watts, and donated this week to the City of Newark
Floyd's murder at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer last year fueled a global movement for racial justice.
"Hopefully when people walk by and they see it, and they participate, hopefully it inspires them to become active in the struggles that are happening right here in Newark and right here in New Jersey," Baraka said.
The statue will remain outside City Hall for at least one year.
The ceremony also honored Juneteenth.
Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, when Union General Gordon Granger rode into Galveston, Texas to inform enslaved African Americans of the Emancipation Proclamation and their freedom.
In honor of Juneteenth, we're telling stories of what Black freedom means today, from a 94-year-old's quest for a national holiday to the fight for reparations to cultural celebrations. Click here for more stories from your city and around the country.
ALSO READ | Our America: Meet Opal Lee, the grandmother of Juneteenth
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