Daily US Times: A teenager who filmed the murder of African-American George Floyd by a white police officer has been given a special journalism award by the Pulitzer Prize board.
The Pulitzer committee said, Darnella Frazier, who is now 18, was awarded the citation for her courage.
Her film spurred protests for racial justice and police reform in the US and around the world and was used as evidence in the trial that convicted police officer Derek Chauvin.
The Pulitzers are the most prestigious journalism awards in the United States.
The Pulitzer committee said they honoured Ms Frazier for “courageously recording the murder of George Floyd, a video that spurred protests against police brutality around the world, highlighting the crucial role of citizens in journalists’ quest for truth and justice.”
Ms Frazier came across the arrest of George Floyd while walking with her cousin in Minneapolis on 25 May 2020.
Earlier this year, she told a court that she started recording the incident on her phone because “I saw a man terrified, begging for his life”.
Ms Frazier described hearing Mr Floyd saying ”I can’t breathe’. He was terrified, he was calling for his mom”.
The video was replayed across the world and sparked mass protests against police britality and a racial reckoning in the US. To many, Floyd’s death while in police custody became a symbol of police brutality in the US – particularly against black people – and it sparked worldwide demonstrations for racial justice.
The footage was used as evidence at Derek Chauvin’s murder trial earlier this year. He was later found guilty on three charges: manslaughter, second-degree murder and third-degree murder.
You may read: Ilhan Omar defends ‘offensive’ Israel remark