The funeral of George Floyd is under way in Houston, Texas, with hundreds of mourners gathered to remember the 46-year-old man whose death at the hands of police sparked a nationwide movement for reforms.
After the private event in Houston, the body will be brought to the nearby city of Pearland, for burial, in a plot next to Floyd’s mother. The casket will be carried for the last mile of the funeral procession in a horse-drawn carriage, local officials said.
Among the people attending the invitation-only event are celebrities and politicians, as well as the families of several other black people who died during interactions with the police in cities around the country.
In addition to eulogies, including by civil rights activist Reverend Al Sharpton, the funeral will feature large doses of spiritual and gospel music, which singers and a live band were playing already as the crowd began to gather.
While invitation-only, the event is being livestreamed, amid intense national and global interest.
