Members of the KSOM community stand silent for 8 minutes, 46 seconds

Members of the Keck School of Medicine of USC community honored George Floyd, and protested his unjust death, by silently standing for 8 minutes, 46 seconds Friday — part of a nationwide observance called White Coats for Black Lives.

Healthcare professionals from Keck Hospital, USC Verdugo Hills Hospital and LAC+USC Medical Center also held events.  

The duration of silence measured the length of time a Minneapolis police officer held his knee on the back of Floyd’s neck after he had been handcuffed and pinned to the ground on May 25. Floyd, 46, lost consciousness and died, sparking a national wave of protests and outrage. 

Here are some photos of today’s observance:

To  view a larger photo gallery, visit our Facebook post. You can also engage on Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. 

“Now is a time to come together as a community and work toward permanent change,” Dean Laura Mosqueda, MD, and Ricky Bluthenthal, PhD, Associate Dean for Social Justice, said in an email to faculty, staff and students Thursday. “It is time to eradicate racism for good, and we are committed to taking immediate action. We do not tolerate any racism and have implemented resources to foster unity and growth within our school.”

The USC Black Lives Matter March is scheduled for Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.., and here’s a list of other events going on around USC in the coming days. T

— Landon Hall