FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Family of George Floyd Announces Updated Student Design Competition Honoring His Legacy
Minneapolis, MN, February 5, 2026
The Family of George Floyd is honored to announce an updated schedule for the George Floyd
Memorial Student Design Competition, the first phase of a global process to create a lasting
memorial that honors the life and legacy of George Floyd at 38th and Chicago.
This update comes in response to feedback gathered during school visits and conversations
with students and faculty across Minnesota. Students shared that the original schedule
overlapped with winter break and did not allow enough time to prepare. In order to better
support student participation and strengthen submissions, the family and Rise and Remember
have extended the competition runway. The Student Design Competition RFP will be published
on Monday, March 2, 2026, and updated guidelines and deadlines will be available at
riseandremember.org/george-floyd-memorial-design-competition.
“As we undertake this memorial design journey, we also honor George Floyd’s daughter,
Gianna, as the light of her father continues to shine on her. As she grows, she will find her own
strength and her own way of carrying his legacy forward. This memorial is being built with future
generations in mind, including the children who, like Gianna, deserve spaces of healing, justice,
and remembrance,” says the Family of George Floyd.
This first of its kind competition invites design students across Minnesota to envision a sacred
space that embodies the values of justice, healing, and community, a space that will serve as a
source of reflection and hope for generations to come.
A Two Phase Memorial Design Journey
The initiative builds on early work led by Professor Anjali Ganapathy, PhD. She is Architecture
faculty and Director of Undergraduate Studies at the University of Minnesota. Her students
explored the need for a memorial competition for George Floyd in her Public Interest Design
course.
The Student Design Competition (phase 1) serves as the starting point for a two phase
memorial process. From this round, three student finalists will be chosen to advance to the
Global Design Competition (phase 2) in Summer 2026, where they’ll present their ideas
alongside professional designers and architects from around the world.
The final memorial design will be selected with guidance from a diverse judging panel of family
members, community stakeholders, and subject matter experts in design, architecture, and
public art.
This process ensures that the final memorial reflects both community vision and design
excellence.
Centering Community Voices
The Family of George Floyd recognizes that the story of George Floyd Square belongs to the
people who have nurtured it. Working in collaboration with Rise and Remember, a nonprofit
organization established to care for the organic memorial of George Floyd, the family designed
this competition with the community’s feedback in mind, ensuring that every phase remains
grounded in transparency, collaboration, and respect.
The goal is to steward the process with integrity, making sure every phase reflects the values
and voices of the community.
“We want our people to be fully involved, but we also have to
remember this is a competition. And when it comes to honoring George’s legacy, we’re calling
on the best of the best to help bring that vision to life,” said Ms. Angela Harrelson, Co-Chair of
the Rise and Remember Board and aunt of George Floyd.
● The Student Design Competition is not the final design phase, but a foundational
opportunity for students to engage and contribute ideas.
● The Global Design Competition will build upon this foundation, integrating both local
insight and an expanse of expertise.
“This design competition is not simply about art and architecture,” says Jeanelle Austin,
Executive Director of Rise and Remember,
“It’s about honoring a sacred space that remembers
George Floyd’s humanity. It’s about remembering how our community at 38th and Chicago and
the world responded to the unjust death of Mr. Floyd and all stolen lives in pursuit of our
collective liberation.”
An Invitation to “Walk the Walk”
The Student Design Competition reflects Rise and Remember’s mission to preserve stories of
resistance, curate spaces for healing, and invite collective participation in building pathways to
justice. As Ms. Paris Stevens, Co Chair of the Rise and Remember Board and first cousin of
George Floyd, reminds us: “Walk the walk.” This competition process is an opportunity for our
community of designers to do just that.
Students and community members are encouraged to follow this historic process.
For press inquiries, partnership opportunities, or more information, please contact:
Niall Julian Universe
Administrative Coordinator
Rise and Remember
(612) 900 2360
niall-julian@riseandremember.org
riseandremember.org/george-floyd-memorial-design-competition/
About Rise and Remember
Rise and Remember is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization based in South Minneapolis dedicated
to conserving stories of resistance to racial injustice and to curate spaces for all people to grieve,
pay respect, and be a voice for justice. Our vision is to bring community development in Minneapolis
and inspire people to pursue racial justice around
