A look at the promise by George Floyd’s family to 38th and Chicago area in the years since grants awarded
The family of George Floyd made a promise to the community around 38th and Chicago in Minneapolis to give back $500,000 through a fund started in his name.
5 EYEWITNESS NEWS reviewed online federal filings that show at least 16 entities, from small businesses to restaurants and nonprofits, received grants in 2023.
The 2023 IRS Form 990s, listed on the website Guidestar, showed that The Ward 8 Community Benevolence Fund awarded more than $449,000 in grants.
In the time since those filings, the fund told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS they have awarded all the funding promised by the Floyd family.
Below is a statement on behalf of the Board of The Ward 8 Community Benevolence Fund:
“The Ward 8 Community Benevolence Fund was created to fulfill the Floyd family’s goal of investing in businesses, community groups and others who serve the Minneapolis neighborhood near 38th and Chicago where he was killed. After a robust grant application and review process, the Board is pleased to have met the objective of the Fund and kept the family’s promise by nurturing economic and community growth while also keeping George’s memory alive.”
A closer look at the groups that received grant funding ranges from small businesses and restaurants around 38th and Chicago, to nonprofits including the Pillsbury House Theatre, Chicago Avenue Fine Arts Center and a Boys and Girls Club for a program that focused on mental health counseling in the area.
Near the corner of 38th and Chicago, you’ll find the Listen to Us Studio.
The art studio space is filled with captivating photographs from the days, weeks, and months after George Floyd’s murder in the streets of Minneapolis.
“When you see your images on a computer, it’s one thing, when you see it full blown like it is now… is breathtaking,” said KingDemetrius Pendleton, who runs the gallery.
Pendleton was able to open the space thanks in part to the grant. The art gallery focuses on social justice movements.
“I wanted to make sure that I would be providing other people with spaces, to just come here and showcase your work,” Pendleton said. “I want to see everyone on this block and this area, prosper, that’s my main thing.”
Photographer Riley Bruce has shown his work in the gallery.
“It’s a great place to have conversation about what has happened over the last five years, to build community, folks just come in and talk,” Bruce said.
Pendleton hopes the gallery tells a story that won’t be forgotten.
“It’s important to remember, if we don’t pay attention to our past, we will repeat our past,” Pendleton said.