Darnella Frazier, the 17-year-old Black girl who filmed the May 2020 murder of George Floyd by former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, was awarded an honorary Pulitzer Prize for “the crucial role of citizens in journalists’ quests for truth and justice,” NPR reports.
Frazier’s nine minute video showed Chauvin kneeling on Floyd’s neck and back, which lead to Floyd dying of a heart attack. Her video, which went viral, sparked international outrage and was a central piece of evidence in Chauvin’s murder trial, during which he was found guilty of two counts of murder and one count of manslaughter.
The Pulitzer Prize, awarded by a committee put together by Columbia University, honors exceptional writing in journalism, fiction, non-fiction, poetry, playwriting, historical works and biography/autobiography in the United States. There is also an award for songwriting.
The committee does not annually award a special citation like the one Frazier received, but it has recognized work by Ida B. Wells (posthumously), for reporting about violence against Blacks at risk to her personal safety; the Annapolis (Maryland) Capital Gazette for work after their office was attacked by a gunman; and musicians Aretha Franklin and Hank Williams for their contributions to American culture.