His Name Is George Floyd: One Man's Life and the Struggle for Racial Justice
Robert Samuels, Toluse Olorunnipa
FINALIST FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD AND LOS ANGELES TIMES BOOK PRIZE; SHORT-LISTED FOR THE J. ANTHONY LUKAS PRIZE; A BCALA 2023 HONOR NONFICTION AWARD WINNER. A landmark biography by two prizewinning Washington Post reporters that reveals how systemic racism shaped George Floyd's life and legacy—from his family’s roots in the tobacco fields of North Carolina, to ongoing inequality in housing, education, health care, criminal justice, and policing—telling the story of how one man’s tragic experience brought about a global movement for change. “It is a testament to the power of His Name Is George Floyd that the book’s most vital moments come not after Floyd’s death, but in its intimate, unvarnished and scrupulous account of his life . . . Impressive.” —New York Times Book Review (Editors' Choice) “Since we know George Floyd’s death with tragic clarity, we must know Floyd’s America—and life—with tragic clarity. Essential for our times.” —Ibram X. Kendi, author of How to Be an Antiracist “A much-needed portrait of the life, times, and martyrdom of George Floyd, a chronicle of the racial awakening sparked by his brutal and untimely death, and an essential work of history I hope everyone will read.”
Award History
2 wins · 6 total
| Award | Year | Result | Category / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pulitzer Prize in General NonfictionMajor | 2023 | Winner | Secondary source |
| Dayton Literary Peace Prize: Nonfiction | 2023 | Winner | Secondary source |
| Pulitzer Prize in Biography or AutobiographyMajor | 2023 | Finalist | Secondary source |
| Los Angeles Times Book Prize for BiographyMajor | 2022 | Finalist | Secondary source |
| National Book Award for NonfictionMajor | 2022 | Finalist | Secondary source |
| J. Anthony Lukas Book Prize | 2023 | Finalist | Secondary source |
Experimental book profileGenerated by GPT-5.4 nano · may contain inaccuracies
This is an unverified interpretation of the catalog description, offered as an opt-in discovery experiment—not as bibliographic fact.
01 Central figures
- George Floyd95%
02 Central places
None extracted with sufficient confidence.
03 Suggested argument
The book argues that systemic racism shaped George Floyd’s life and legacy, and that the global movement for change grew from the tragic experience of his death and life.
Model confidence 76%
04 Reading orientation
34 / 100 academicSerious trade
An estimate of intended readership and scholarly apparatus—not quality or importance.
Confidence percentages are the model's own estimates. Profile confidence: 86%.