Nine-year-old Judea Reynolds, who witnessed the death of African-American George Floyd in May 2020, plans to write a book about the incident for children. In this way, she intends to contribute to the fight against racism and cope with her emotions. The work will be called "My Way to the Store."
According to CBS Minnesota, Reynolds was inspired by the book Cameron Goes to School, the main character of which was an autistic girl. Judea read this work and thought that she could also share her story with people.
Judah’s mother, Diana Reynolds, said she was proud of her daughter’s determination.
“I was very moved that my child was so worried about a problem that most children would give up. She really wants to achieve justice for George Floyd, "- quotes the woman of the New York Post.
The young activist was already supported by the owner of the Minnesota-based publishing company Beaver's Pond Press, Lily Coyle. Illustrator Darcy Bell-Myers and writer Sheletta Brandage are also expected to participate in the publication.
In addition, the team launched a fundraiser for the Reynolds family (they are experiencing financial difficulties), and also organized consultations with a psychologist for the girl herself. According to Judah, now she is having trouble sleeping: she is dreaming of her experiences. The girl recalls how the police got a man out of the car, and later one of the officers pressed his neck with his knee to the ground.
The social activist Latoya Turk, who works with the Reynolds family, emphasized that writing the book will allow Judea to not only share her experiences with other children, but also to cope with the consequences of her trauma.
“Part of the purpose of writing the book is to give Judea strength and to talk with other children about how to be strong and courageous. In addition, in our opinion, giving her the opportunity to adequately talk about her experiences is an important element of recovery, ”Latoya Turk said.
Floyd's death
George Floyd died on May 25, 2020 in Minneapolis during a police detention. After the publication of the video depicting the process of detention, riots and mass protests against racism began throughout the country.
According to the New York Post, Judea was at the scene with her older cousin Darnella Fraser: they were going to a nearby store. It was Darnella who shot the video, which later went on the network.
After the video was published, many criticized the girl for inaction, and also accused her of wanting to use the tragedy for her own interests and attract attention to herself. Darnella, in turn, claimed that the shots she captured laid the foundation for change.
“If we were not there that day, they (the police. - RT ) would continue to kill us,” said Darnella Fraser.