This painting narrates the story and legacy of George Floyd, whose death in 2020 ignited a global movement for racial justice and equality. The phrase “I am the golden straw that broke the back of injustice” came to me in the quiet, raw hours of 3 a.m., face wet with tears and heart burning with urgency. It is a call to action. Urging each person to use their platform, resources, talents, and vote to speak out against oppression and inequity.

At the center of the painting is Floyd’s raised Black fist, a symbol of solidarity and resistance. Emerging from behind the hand are soft pink peonies, a stark yet harmonious contrast that embodies both strength and tenderness, resilience and humanity. The woodgrain background grounds the piece in a sense of history and permanence, a reminder that the struggle for justice is deeply rooted in time.

Encircling the fist, the bold typography of Floyd’s words forms a halo-like arc, visually reinforcing the power of his legacy to inspire collective awakening. Around the wrist, the geometric “Shoofly” quilt pattern references a code once used during the Underground Railroad to mark safe houses and allies who guided enslaved people toward freedom. Here, it bridges past and present—connecting centuries of Black resistance, survival, and liberation.

The piece does not portray Floyd’s life in isolation, but instead positions him within a continuum of the fight for justice. His name, placed firmly at the wrist, symbolizes the strength of his grip on history and the unwillingness of this moment to be forgotten.