Despite what others may say, Darnella Frazier doesn’t consider herself a hero, but rather a young “girl trying to heal from something I am reminded of every day.”
The 18-year-old Minneapolis teen has been widely praised for her role in securing justice for George Floyd, the 46-year-old Black man who was killed by police exactly a year ago. Frazier was catapulted into the national spotlight after she recorded officers restraining Floyd as he was face down on the ground. Her footage showed Floyd’s final moments, as he repeatedly told officers he couldn’t breathe and called out for his mom. The video was credited for reigniting the Black Lives Matter movement and sparking countless demonstrations for police reform and racial justice.
Frazier, who was with her 9-year-old cousin when she witnessed Floyd’s murder, reflected on the tragedy via Facebook on Tuesday, explaining the ways her life has completely changed.
“Although this wasn’t the first time, I’ve seen a black man get killed at the hands of the police, this is the first time I witnessed it happen in front of me. Right in front of my eyes, a few feet away,” she wrote. “I didn’t know this man from a can of paint, but I knew his life mattered. I knew that he was in pain. I knew that he was another black man in danger with no power. I was only 17 at the time, just a normal day for me walking my 9-year-old cousin to the corner store, not even prepared for what I was about to see, not even knowing my life was going to change on this exact day in those exact moments… it did. It changed me. It changed how I viewed life. It made me realize how dangerous it is to be Black in America … A part of my childhood was taken from me.”
The now 18-year-old Frazier went on to describe how the tragedy has affected her mental state and family life. She said she had trouble sleeping for weeks, would experience panic attacks every time she saw a police car, and had to hop from hotel to hotel with her family because their home was no longer safe. Although she says life hasn’t been easy since she decided to share her cellphone footage with the world, Frazier indicated she has no regrets.
“Even though this was a traumatic life-changing experience for me, I’m proud of myself. If it weren’t for my video, the world wouldn’t have known the truth. I own that ...” she said. “George Floyd, I can’t express enough how I wish things could have went different, but I want you to know you will always be in my heart. I’ll always remember this day because of you. May your soul rest in peace.”
Frazier’s video was key evidence in the murder trial of Derek Chauvin, the ex-Minneapolis police officer who was filmed kneeling on Floyd’s neck for approximately nine minutes. A private autopsy commissioned by Floyd’s family determined he had died of asphyxiation. Chauvin was ultimately found guilty of second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and manslaughter.
He is scheduled to be sentenced in a month.
