George Floyd hologram unveiled at site of Lee statue in Richmond

RICHMOND, Va. — The creators of a high-tech memorial to George Floyd wanted to unveil it in a place that had deep meaning for the cause of fighting racial inequity, so they chose the grandest totem in the former capital of the Confederacy: the statue of Robert E. Lee on this city’s Monument Avenue.

Floyd’s family was present for Tuesday’s unveiling of a holographic portrait of the man whose death in Minneapolis police custody in May touched off protests around the world.

“We’re here to share this special moment for my brother,” Rodney Floyd said. “Right now, right here, this is a beautiful scene.”

The work features projected points of light, like fireflies, that coalesce into a likeness of Floyd. After Richmond, it will hit the road, echoing the path of the Freedom Riders who took buses through the segregated South in 1961.

“We wanted to do something really bold and capture the attention of the world,” said Alaina Curry, a spokeswoman for Change. org, which sponsored the event.

Members of the family attended a private demonstration of the artwork at the site of the Monument Avenue statue that formerly honored Confederate President Jefferson Davis until it was pulled down by protesters early last month.

The display was deeply moving, said Rodney Floyd, who traveled with other family members from their home in Houston.

“Honestly, it’s beautiful,” he said. “And it resembles him. And the energy that was out there last night from the local people — we all were excited. I’m smiling right now thinking about it.”