George Floyd’s daughter Gianna just had her first birthday since the death of her father but thanks to some high-profile guests, she was able to celebrate in style in spite of her loss. According to Forbes, Atlanta rapper Lil Baby and former NBA player Stephen Jackson threw a social-distancing LOL Dolls-themed birthday party for the seven-year-old at Atlanta’s Pink Hotel. They were aided by Atlanta restauranteurs Ericka and William Platt of Restaurant Ten and Rosie’s Café to plan the party, while Lil Baby sponsored it.
George Floyd’s death became a cause célèbre this summer when the former member of Houston’s Screwed-Up Click who once went by Big Floyd was killed by police officer Derek Chauvin while being detained. A video showed Chauvin knelt on Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes as Floyd tried to tell him he couldn’t breathe. Once the video circulated online, it became the focal point of widespread protests against police brutality, as well as the lack of accountability for police who kill citizens and face few to no consequences.
Lil Baby’s song “The Bigger Picture” was an unofficial anthem of the protests, which was the most-streamed protest song of the summer after dozens of hip-hop artists stepped up to contribute their thoughts. Stephen Jackson was close to Floyd, calling him his “twin,” and has helped care for Gianna since Floyd’s death.