SOUTHAMPTON — A local church held a ceremony honoring George Floyd on Monday.
The First Congregational Church of Southampton started ringing its bell at 9:30 p.m., approximately the time Floyd was held down until he died the week before, and did so for 8 minutes and 46 seconds. At the same time, people in town were asked to light candles to commemorate Floyd, and luminaries were displayed outside the church.
Floyd, a black man, was killed last Monday after Derek Chauvin, a white police officer, knelt on his neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds, according to the criminal complaint against Chauvin, who has been charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.
Floyd’s death occurred after he was arrested on suspicion of paying for cigarettes with a counterfeit $20 bill. It has sparked protests nationally and locally, some of which have seen violence from both civilians and police.
Quentin Chin, interim pastor at the First Congregational Church of Southampton, said Floyd’s death, as well as the protests and acts of violence, have weighed heavily on the congregation.
“The need to address it was compelling,” he said.
During the church’s service Sunday, held via the videoconferencing application Zoom, the issue of racism and anti-racism was discussed, and Monday’s ceremony arose out of that discussion.
William Bray was one of four people who rang the bell Monday.
“We passed it off every minute,” he said.
Bray said Fire Chief John Workman and Police Chief Ian Illingsworth helped to set up the luminaries.
“When they heard about this they said they very much wanted to be more involved,” he said.
And Bray said the reaction in town to the ceremony has been good, which drew 15-20 people outside the church, he said.
Chin described racism as a massive and oppressive edifice in American society.
“We have an obligation to chip away at that,” he said.