♪♪ >> CATHY: IT'S BEEN FIVE YEARS SINCE THE MURDER OF GEORGE FLOYD BY A FORMER MINNEAPOLIS POLICE OFFICER AT THE INTERSECTION OF 38TH AND CHICAGO.

THE AREA, NOW CALLED GEORGE FLOYD SQUARE, HAS BECOME A MEMORIAL SPACE AND PLACE OF RESISTANCE TO RACIAL INJUSTICE.

BUT ITS FUTURE PLANS ARE UNDER DEBATE.

REPORTER KAOMI LEE SPENT TIME THERE LAST WEEK TO FIND OUT MORE.

>> Kaomi: TRACY WASHINGTON SAYS SHE HAD TO BE AT GEORGE FLOYD SQUARE.

>> I LOST MY SON A YEAR AGO TO POLICE BRUTALITY IN FLORIDA.

AND I WANTED TO BE ABLE TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE MOVEMENT.

>> Kaomi: THAT'S HOW HER EXHIBIT, WALK A MILE IN OUR SHOES, WAS BORN.

SHE DISPLAYED PHOTOS OF VICTIMS OF POLICE BRUTALITY OR GUN VIOLENCE ALONG WITH THEIR SHOES.

THE EXHIBIT WAS JUST STEPS AWAY FROM WHERE GEORGE FLOYD DIED.

>> MY QUESTION TILL REMAINS.

HOW DID WE GET HERE?

WHY ARE WE HERE?

>> MANY PEOPLE HAVE DESCRIBED THE SQUARE AS AN OPEN WOUND.

ORGANIZERS OF THE EVENTS SURROUNDING THE FIVE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY SAY THERE WAS ALSO AN EMPHASIS ON BLACK JOY.

>> IT'S ALWAYS OKAY TO FEEL JOY.

I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT GRIEF IS PROCESSING LOSS.

AND JUST BECAUSE YOU'VE LOST SOMETHING DOESN'T MEAN THAT YOU NEED TO BE SAD ALL THE TIME.

SOMETIMES JOY CAN LOOK LIKE PROCESSING LOSS.

SOMETIMES SILENCE CAN LOOK LIKE PROCESSING OSS.

>> Kaomi: AUSTIN IS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF A NON-PROFIT THAT PRESERVES STORIES OF RESISTANCE TO RACIAL INJUSTICE.

>> WE RECOGNIZE THE LAND HAS A VERY INTEGRAL PART IN THIS MOVEMENT FOR JUSTICE.

AND IT HOLDS THE ENERGY.

IT HOLDS THE MEMORIES.

EVERY TEAR CRIED.

EVERY SHOUT SHOUTED.

>> Kaomi: LEE COLEMAN HAS BEEN KEEPING WATCH EVERY NIGHT FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS.

>> PROTECTING THE SQUARE, MAKING SURE I HOLD TRUTH TO POWER.

AND MAKE SURE EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT THERE'S SOMEBODY'S WATCHING.

>> Kaomi: THE SQUARE BECAME A PLACE OF RESISTANCE AND RESILIENCY.

AWE GEORGE FLOYD'S MURDER, COLEMAN WHO IS NATIVE AMERICAN, SAYS THE POLICE STAYED AWAY.

>> THEY REFUSED.

THEY WOULDN'T EVEN COME WITHIN TWO BLOCKS OF HERE.

WE WERE TO FEND FOR OURSELVES.

WE WERE TO ELP OURSELVES AND PROTECT OURSELVES.

AND WHICH WE DID.

>> Kaomi: MEANWHILE, HE AYS OFFICER-INVOLVED HOOTINGS HAVE CONTINUED.

>> I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S IMPROVED.

I THINK IT'S JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE HIGHLIGHTED.

BUT I DON'T THINK IT'S IMPROVED.

AT ALL.

I THINK IT'S JUST WAITING FOR THE NEXT SOMETHING TO HAPPEN.

>> Kaomi: ALL WEEK LONG, MANY HAVE BEEN COMING OUT TO PAY THEIR RESPECTS AT GEORGE FLOYD SQUARE AND TO MEMORIALIZE THE MAN AND WHAT HAPPENED HERE.

STILL, THERE ARE DIFFERING OPINIONS ON WHAT SHOULD BE THE FUTURE OF THIS INTERSECTION.

>> YOU STILL CAN'T DO THE THING THAT THE COUNCIL WANTS TO DO BECAUSE IT IS AGAINST THE LAW.

>> Kaomi: THE CITY SPENT $2 MILLION AND 17,000 HOURS OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TO FIND OUT WHAT THE PUBLIC WANTED.

MINNEAPOLIS MAYOR JACOB FREY SAYS THE MAJORITY SUPPORTED AN OPEN FLEXIBLE PLAN.

>> WHERE YOU CAN SHUT DOWN THE STREET FOR FESTIVALS OR GATHERINGS, FOR HEALING SESSIONS.

BUT, YES, YOU CAN ALSO GET THE MOST TRAVELED BUS LINE IN THE ENTIRE STATE THROUGH.

YOU CAN HAVE ACCESS FOR SMALL AND LOCAL BUSINESSES.

>> Kaomi: THE CITY COUNCIL, HOWEVER, FAVORED EXPLORING A PEDESTRIAN PLAZA, WHICH WOULD PERMANENTLY CLOSE A PORTION OF CHICAGO AVENUE.

MONTHS AGO, A SUPERMAJORITY OVERRODE FREY'S VETO.

>> THE STATE LAW REQUIRES THAT YOU CANNOT HAVE MORE THAN 50% OF THE PROPERTY OWNERS ALONG THAT CORRIDOR OPPOSE THE SHUTTING DOWN OF THE STREET.

RIGHT NOW, 100% OF THE PROPERTY OWNERS THAT WE'VE TALKED TO OPPOSE SHUTTING DOWN THE STREET.

>> Kaomi: CITY COUNCIL MEMBER EDUCATION EVERYONE CHAVEZ REPRESENTED WARD 9 WHERE GEORGE FLOYD WAS MURDERED.

HE SAYS THE CITY'S COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT LEFT OUT MANY BLACK AND BROWN COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT MAKE UP HIS WARD.

>> PUTTING TRANSIT BACK AND PUTTING CARS BACK IN AN AREA THAT HAS BEEN A SIGN OF PROTEST AND HAS BEEN A SIGN OF RESISTANCE, HAS BEEN A SIGN OF PUSHING FOR POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY AND TO REVERT BACK TO TRY TO GO O ACK TO THE STATUS QUO OR BACK TO HOW THINGS USED TO BE, IN MY OPINION, AND WHAT I HAVE HEARD FROM MANY PEOPLE IS THAT THAT WOULD BE ERASURE.

>> Kaomi: CHAVEZ SAYS THEY HOPE TO FINALIZE A PLAN IN DECEMBER THAT ENCOMPASSES THE LENGTH OF THE FORMER SPEEDWAY GAS STATION.

>> THE MAYOR'S TALKING ABOUT THE ENTIRE 38TH AND CHICAGO.

THE MOTION THAT WE PASSED AND WHAT WE'RE EXPLORING IS THAT CUL-DE-SAC.

SO HE LENGTH OF THE SPEEDWAY, THE PEOPLE'S WAY, THAT IS THE MODEL THAT WE ARE PURSUING THAT WE AVE AS A CITY COUNCIL EXPRESSED SUPPORT FOR.

AND WE BELIEVE THAT UNDER STATE AW, WITH TAKING THE APPROPRIATE ACTIONS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN DO THAT IS ALLOWED.

>> Kaomi: NOT ALL COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE N AGREEMENT.

THEY SAY A LACK OF COMPROMISE HURTS BUSINESSES.

SOME OF THOSE BUSINESSES ARE EVEN SUING THE CITY.

>> IT DELAYS PROGRESS.

IT ALSO -- I MEAN, THERE'S A COST.

THERE'S A ECONOMIC COST TO WAITING.

I THINK THIS STEP BACK TO RESEARCH, THE IDEA AROUND A PEDESTRIAN IS GOING TO COST AROUND -- BETWEEN I THINK 500 AND $800,000.

THAT'S REAL MONEY.

>> Kaomi: MOVING FORWARD, AND PROGRESS, ARE NOT ALWAYS THE SAME THING.

>> I THINK SOME OF THE CHALLENGES UP HERE IS THAT THERE'S NOT NECESSARILY A COHESIVE MESSAGE OR FEELING AROUND, LIKE, WHERE WE'RE HEADED AS A COMMUNITY.

>> Kaomi: ARTIST AND GALLERY OWNERST RICE HAS GROWN UP IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.

HE SAYS WITH A DOZEN BLOCK OWNED SMALL BUSINESSES IN THE AREA, GEORGE FLOYD SQUARE HAS POTENTIAL.

>> IT'S BEEN A CHALLENGE TO KEEP UP CONSISTENT FLOW OF TRAFFIC OR CONSISTENT CUSTOMERS COMING IN WHEN TO A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THIS CITY, THIS IS KIND OF A DARK SPOT THAT, YOU KNOW, NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE WANT TO GO.

SPECIFICALLY BECAUSE I THINK PEOPLE ARE -- LIKE TO GO HERE THEY FEEL UPLIFTED.

THEY LIKE TO GO WHERE THEY FEEL SAFE.

>> Kaomi: EVERY DAY FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS, A GROUP OF NEIGHBORS GATHERED TO START THEIR DAY TALKING ABOUT RACIAL AND SOCIAL JUSTICE.

>> GEORGE FLOYD SQUARE IS IN THE HEARTS AND THE MINDS OF THE PEOPLE OF THE TWIN CITIES.

AS A HISTORIC LANDMARK.

IT'S THIS FLOOD LINE OF BEFORE AND AFTER.

OF RACIAL RECKONING.

>> Kaomi: ARCIA HOWARD HAS LIVED NEAR 38TH AND CHICAGO FOR MORE THAN IS A 25 YEARS.

SHE STANDS STEPS AWAY FROM THE SAY THEIR NAME CEMETERY, REPRESENTING VICTIMS OF RACIAL VIOLENCE.

SHE CALLS THEIR MOVEMENT AN UPRISING.

>> IT'S NOT JUST A PHYSICAL PLACE.

THE FIST IN THE MIDDLE OF G.F.S.

STANDS AT THE EPICENTER OF A RECKONING, WHERE PEOPLE HAVE TO INTERROGATE THEMSELVES.

WHERE DO I STAND IN THIS?

WHAT DOES WHITE SUPREMACY MEAN AND MOVE IN ME?

AND IT DIDN'T STOP IN 2020.