June 2021

Derek Chauvin was sentenced to 22 years and 6 months in prison — the longest sentence ever given to a Minnesota police officer for an on-duty act. Chauvin later pleaded guilty to federal civil rights charges and received an additional 21 years to run concurrently. Floyd's brother Philonise said 'I'm satisfied but not fully satisfied.'

Derek Chauvin was sentenced to 22 years and 6 months in prison on June 25, 2021, for the second-degree murder of George Floyd — the longest sentence ever given to a Minnesota police officer for an on-duty act. Judge Peter Cahill sentenced above the state guidelines of 12.5 years, citing aggravating factors including Floyd's vulnerability. Chauvin later pleaded guilty to federal civil rights charges and was sentenced to an additional 21 years to run concurrently. The sentence was historic, though many advocates noted it would not be enough on its own to transform policing systems. Floyd's brother Philonise said 'I'm satisfied but not fully satisfied.'

President Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act on June 17, 2021, making June 19 — the date in 1865 when enslaved people in Galveston, TX learned of their emancipation — a federal holiday. The bill passed the Senate unanimously and the House 415-14. Juneteenth had been celebrated in Black communities for over 150 years and was already a state holiday in 49 states. The federal recognition was seen as long overdue acknowledgment of slavery's centrality to American history, though some advocates said it risked becoming commercialized without substantive policy change.

The community-led memorial at 38th Street and Chicago Avenue in Minneapolis — where George Floyd was killed — was maintained as George Floyd Square by residents for over a year, with community members blocking police vehicles. The Minneapolis City Council sought to reopen the intersection to traffic; community members resisted, demanding accountability and policy changes before reopening. The standoff illustrated tensions between institutional efforts to move past Floyd's killing and community insistence on accountability. The square became a pilgrimage site drawing tens of thousands of visitors and featuring community art, a 24-hour mutual aid station, and ongoing organizing.

Winston Boogie Smith Jr., 32, was shot and killed by U.S. Marshals in Minneapolis on June 3, 2021, at the same intersection where George Floyd had died less than a year before. Marshals said he pointed a gun at them; witnesses disputed this. His death sparked renewed protests and highlighted the relative lack of accountability mechanisms for U.S. Marshals Service operations.

Winston Boogie Smith Jr., 32, a Black man, was shot and killed by U.S. Marshals in Minneapolis on June 3, 2021. Marshals said he pointed a gun at them; witnesses disputed this account. Smith's killing occurred at the same intersection where George Floyd had died less than a year before. His death sparked renewed protests in Minneapolis. The case highlighted federal law enforcement's role in killings and the relative lack of accountability mechanisms for U.S. Marshals Service operations.

The end of slavery is recognized as a national holiday.