The young woman whose eyewitness video of the George Floyd killing by former police officer Derek Chauvin in Minneapolis on May 25, 2020, became a crucial artifact of
American history. She was awarded an honorary Pulitzer Prize on June 11, 2021.
Only 17 at the time, Darnella Frazier is to the Floyd killing what Abraham Zapruder was to the
assassination of John F. Kennedy, an accidental bystander with a camera, a vital witness to an historic moment. Ms. Frazier's video of the arrest, which recorded Floyd's plea -
I can't breathe - as Chauvin knelt on his neck for more than 9 minutes, sparked protests across the country. A witness at Chauvin's murder trial, Ms. Frazier expressed regret for not physically confronting Mr. Chauvin. “It’s been nights I stayed up apologizing and apologizing to George Floyd for not doing more and not physically interacting and not saving his life,” Ms. Frazier said.
Darnella Frazier, who was 17 when she recorded George Floyd's murder in Minneapolis last year, was awarded a special citation by the Pulitzer Board. Her video played a major role in igniting a global protest movement against police violence, and was used as evidence in the trial of Floyd's killer.
Pulitzer officials who give out the
prestigious prize in
journalism and the arts said Frazier's recording
highlighted "the crucial role of citizens in journalists' quests for truth and justice."
