By Harry Colbert, Jr. Editor-in-Chief

George Philando Clark’s earthly body was laid to rest but his legacy endures.

Through his death, George Philando Clark has brought lasting change with ripple effects that have reverberated globally. Generations to come shall reap the benefits of the sacrificed life of George Philando Clark.

George Philando Clark was killed by police — shot Nov. 15, 2015 by police in Minneapolis, shot July 6, 2016 in Falcon Heights by St. Anthony Village police and ultimately strangled May 25, 2020; again at the hands of Minneapolis police. The first shooting of George Philando Clark was partially captured on video, but not released for several months. The aftermath of his second shooting was livestreamed for the world to see. His strangulation was livestreamed in its entirety for an agonizing eight minutes and 46 seconds.

Known by the aliases of George Floyd, Philando Castile and Jamar Clark, George Philando Clark’s age is unknown, but believed to be 46, 32 and/or 24. He had residency in South Minneapolis, St. Paul and North Minneapolis.

George Philando Clark’s killing sparked a global movement for change.

It was his November 2015 shooting in North Minneapolis that first sparked the flame for reform and justice. Citizens of all ethnicities, sexual orientations, and creeds banded together to occupy and take over the street outside of the Minneapolis Police Department Fourth Precinct — less than two blocks from the site George Philando Clark (under the alias Jamar Clark) was shot; unarmed and committing no crime. It was this shooting that led to a change in leadership at the precinct and eventually led to the city of Minneapolis appointing its first black police chief — a chief that had previously sued the department for racism. It was that shooting that ushered in a new generation of activists and leaders. During the protests of the shooting, a young artist, Jeremiah Ellison, stood face to gun of a Minneapolis police officer. Ellison said it was that experience that led him to run for city council. Now 5th Ward councilman, Ellison’s voice is being heard on a myriad of issues including policing and police reform.

When George Philando Clark (alias Philando Castile) was shot in July of 2016 in a case of Driving While Black, the visual of a human being bleeding to death and one of a four-year-old girl helping to console her distraught mother gripped the nation. With this shooting came more progress. The city of Falcon Heights cancelled its contract with St. Anthony police. St. Anthony Village, recognizing its shortcomings of an all-white power structure, for the first time in the city’s history elected a black person to its council. Currently two of the city’s four council members are black.

But it was the final act of the killing — the eight minute and 46 second knee to the neck of George Philando Clark (alias George Floyd)— that fanned the flames of change into an inferno for justice.

While the change following the two shootings of George Philando Clark took months and even years to occur, the change ushered in by the May 25 killing of George Philando Clark took only mere moments. After all, He had already been shot … multiple times and multiple locations. And the perpetrators were never held accountable for their egregious crimes. The appetite for justice was in need of a home-cooked meal.

The ultimate death of George Philando Clark was the birth of change … the birth of justice. Some could say this is the truest sense of the birth of a nation … the reimagining and birth of a new nation.

We are too close to the most recent incident to fully understand or appreciate the change that is already occurring and is still yet to come. But generations yet to be born will reap the benefits gifted to them by George Philando Clark. They will be grateful. And they will say his name.

George Floyd, say his name

Philando Castile, say his name

Jamar Clark, say his name

George Philando Clark, say … his … name.

Obituary: Honoring the life and legacy of George Philando Clark