Preserving the Art of Protest: Minneapolis Keeps George Floyd’s Legacy Alive Through Murals

30 May 2025

Bebeto Matthews/AP/Shutterstock

Five years after the murder of George Floyd, the city of Minneapolis continues to honor not only his memory but also the transformative movement that followed. While protests reverberated across the world in 2020, a quieter form of resistance and remembrance emerged in the form of art specifically, protest murals painted on plywood boards that covered shop windows during times of unrest. Today, these murals are being preserved as powerful cultural artifacts.

Nonprofit groups like Memorialize the Movement and Save the Boards have played a critical role in collecting, cataloging, and safeguarding over 1,000 of these pieces. Originally meant as temporary expressions of grief, hope, rage, and solidarity, these murals have become a permanent reminder of a pivotal moment in modern civil rights history. Rather than being discarded, they now live on in exhibits at Carleton College, Franconia Sculpture Park, and other institutions, where they serve as educational tools and symbols of resistance.

One of the most sacred spaces in Minneapolis remains the site of Floyd’s death, now known as George Floyd Square. Located at the intersection of 38th Street and Chicago Avenue, the area has transformed into a living memorial. What began as a spontaneous gathering place has evolved into a powerful symbol of community and resilience. The annual Rise & Remember Festival takes place here, featuring candlelight vigils, gospel music, food vendors, and workshops all aimed at reflection, celebration of Black life, and activism.

But preserving these artworks and the spirit of George Floyd Square has not been without challenges. Political leadership in Minneapolis has changed since 2020, and not all officials have continued to prioritize support for these grassroots preservation efforts. Budgetary constraints and shifting public interest have also tested the stamina of the organizers. Yet, the work continues.

Volunteers and community leaders stress that this is not about frozen memories or nostalgia, it's about active engagement with justice. For many young artists, especially artists of color, these boards represent the first time their voices were amplified in such a visible, communal way. The murals were not commissioned or curated; they were spontaneous, raw, and deeply human.

The push now is to find long-term funding, permanent archival space, and public awareness to ensure these boards are preserved as more than relics. They are stories. They are testimony. They are protests in pigment.

In a time when the news cycle has moved on and some communities have attempted to erase or "move past" the pain, these murals stand defiant. They are proof that people stood up. That people demanded change. And that even in grief, creativity can rise bold, loud, and unforgettable.

For anyone who stood in George Floyd Square or walked past a boarded-up storefront painted with a clenched fist or a quote from James Baldwin, the message was clear: “We will not forget.”