When Darnella Frazier left the house to take her younger cousin to a local store on May 25, 2020, she had no idea that her life was about to change forever. While talking, Darnella witnessed Minneapolis Police Officers arresting a man who was laying on the ground and appeared to be in distress. Thinking quickly, Darnella pulled her phone out and started recording the incident. The man on the ground, George Floyd, would die just moments later and the incident would spark international outrage. Darnella’s video would eventually be instrumental in convicting Derek Chauvin, the officer who murdered Floyd. Despite having no intention of being put into the spotlight, that’s exactly where Darnella has found herself. Here are 10 things you didn’t know about Darnella Frazier.
1. She Was Harassed After She Was Identified As The Person Who Recorded The Video
In addition to the trauma of watching George Floyd’s murder, Darnella also had to deal with the aftermath. Although there were a lot of people who felt like Darnella did the right thing by recording what she saw, there were some who wanted to silence her. After her identity became known, Darnella found herself being bullied online.
2. She Is A Teenager
When Darnella stopped to record Derek Chauvin with his knee on George Floyd’s neck, she was just a 17-year-old high school junior. Despite her young age, she understood the significance of what she was seeing and she wanted to make sure the world had the opportunity to see it as well.
3. She Started A YouTube Channel
Darnella has created a YouTube channel, but she hasn’t posted any content yet. We weren’t able to find any information on what kinds of videos she plans to post. In the description of the channel she wrote, “I don’t just want to be known as “The girl who recorded George Floyd’s death”. I want to be known as a 17 year old girl, who just wants to live life like everyone else.”
4. She Has Used Her Voice To Speak Out On Other Issues
Over the past year, Darnella has made it a point to use her online presence to raise awareness of issues that are important to her. In addition to posting about George Floyd’s murder, she has also used her platform to talk about sexual assault, autism awareness, and mental health.
5. She Won An Award
The video that Darnella recorded is now considered one of the most important videos in civil rights history. For her courage and fast thinking, she was presented with a Benenson Courage Award from Pen America. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the award ceremony took place virtually.
6. A GoFundMe Account Was Set Up To Help Her
Not long after Floyd’s murder, someone set up a GoFundMe to help raise money for Darnella. According to the campaign’s description, “This fund is to support the healing and the restoration of hope for Darnella Frazier —whatever that means to her.” The GoFundMe has a goal of $1 million, and as of now $687,260 has been raised. Darnella has not yet shared what she plans to do with the money when she receives it.
7. She Testified At Derek Chauvin’s Trial
Not only was Darnella’s video an instrumental part of building the initial case against Chauvin, but her testimony was also instrumental at his trial. Darnella testified to what she saw and also shared that she felt she was in danger when she saw officer Chauvin reach for his mace.
8. She Has A Large Social Media Following
Since her identity has been made public, Darnella has become a social media celebrity in her own right. In addition to being followed by more than 32,000 people on Facebook, she also has 148,000 followers on Instagram. Darnella is extremely grateful for all of the people who have shown her love and support.
9. She Loves Fashion And Beauty
The world may know her as the teenager who recorded George Floyd’s murder, but there’s much more to Darnella than that. Underneath it all, she’s just a ‘normal’ teenager who enjoys things like fashion and beauty. These are things she may decide to discuss on her YouTube channel when she starts posting content.
10. She’s Gotten Shoutouts From Some Noteworthy People
In addition to receiving an award from Pen America, Darnella has been recognized and mentioned by some very well-known people. Anita Hill, who became famous in the 90s for her sexual assault allegations about Clarence Thomas, personally commended Darnella for her bravery. Filmmaker Spike Lee, who presented the Pen Award, also expressed his gratitude for what Darnella did.
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