TV personality Oprah Winfrey reacted Friday to the death of George Floyd.
Winfrey honored Floyd and shared her thoughts on her social media accounts.
“I’ve been trying to process what can be said or heard in this moment,” Winfrey said. “I haven’t been able to get the image of the knee on his neck out of my head. It’s there every morning when I rise and when I go through the ordinary duties of the day. While pouring coffee, lacing my shoes, and taking a breath, I think: He doesn’t get to do this.”
“And now the video from the other angle of two other officers pinning him down,” she added. “My heart sinks even deeper.” (RELATED: Taylor Swift Goes After Donald Trump Over George Floyd Tweets)
Winfrey said Floyd’s name will not “just be a hashtag.”
“His family and friends say he was a gentle giant,” Winfrey continued. “His death has now shown us he had a giant soul. If the largeness of a soul is determined by its sphere of influence, George Floyd is a Mighty soul. #GeorgeFloyd: We speak your name. But this time we will not let your name be just a hashtag. Your spirit is lifted by the cries of all of us who call for justice in your name!”
Winfrey’s comments come after Floyd was killed while in custody of a Minneapolis police officer. Protests turned into riots Wednesday evening and night and continued throughout Thursday in Minneapolis over the death of Floyd.