George Floyd’s upcoming biography showcases his ‘relentless struggle to survive as a Black man in America’

The Washington Post announced on Wednesday the creation of a new book detailing the life of George Floyd. According to Viking, a subsidiary of publisher Penguin Random House, it is set to his shelves on May 17, 2022, just shy of two years after Floyd was murdered by former Minneapolis Police officer Derek Chauvin.

"His Name Is George Floyd" is a project embarked upon by Washington Post reporters Robert Samuels and Toluse Olorunnipa, and attempts to show that Floyd's life and death were impacted by systemic racism in America.

According to the publisher's website, "This biography of George Floyd shows the athletic young boy raised in the projects of Houston’s Third Ward who would become a father, a partner, a friend, and a man constantly in search of a better life." They go on to suggest that the book will bring light to Floyd's "relentless struggle to survive as a Black man in America."

"Drawing upon hundreds of interviews and extensive original reporting," the description continues, "Samuels and Olorunnipa offer a poignant and moving exploration of George Floyd’s America, revealing how a man who simply wanted to breathe ended up touching the world."

On May 25, 2020, George Floyd was killed while in police custody, sparking the largest wave of protests in decades. Protests often focused on "abolishing the police," and in many cases, they turned violent and destructive.

The name George Floyd has since come to be synonymous with the fight for civil rights. To many, he has become a martyr of sorts, however for others the adoration given to him is seen as undeserved. In the time since his death, nearly everyone has learned about his death, however the details of his life have largely been ignored or emphasized for political purposes.