Born with two strikes

The story of George Floyd's America

An editor's note on a new series examining systemic racism.

George Floyd became a household name this summer after his death in Minneapolis police custody. Nationwide protests for racial justice were sparked by his final moments, but the 46-year-old's life story should be told.

A team of Washington Post editors and reporters worked for several months to publish, "George Floyd's America." It's a six-part series that captures the experience of a man born at the end of the Civil Rights Movement and whose death turned the Black Lives Matter movement into a global cause.

We reviewed thousands of documents and conducted more than 150 interviews. We spoke with siblings, extended family members, friends, colleagues, public officials and scholars to bring you a special report that sheds new light on the systemic racism Floyd and his relatives faced and how deep-seated inequities in education, housing, criminal justice and other areas hobbled his ambition.

Floyd's younger brother Philonise told The Post: "My mom, she used to always tell us that growing up in America, you already have two strikes [as a Black man.] And you're going to have to work three times as hard as everybody else, if you want to make it in this world."

The series will publish in installments throughout October. Start reading below, and future installments will be published here.

I hope you find "George Floyd's America" as revealing as I do. We welcome your response to the series.