The world met Christopher Martin when he testified in at former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin’s murder trial.
Martin was just 18 years old when he accepted a counterfeit $20 bill from George Floyd as a clerk at a Minneapolis Cup Foods. That bill led to a 911 call, and eventually George Floyd’s death.
The aftermath of Floyd’s death — caught on camera and broadcast around the world — spurred a national reckoning and sparked key and often painful conversations about bias, policing, identity and accountability.
So, too, did Chauvin’s trial this spring, which reopened America’s very raw wounds. Martin’s composed yet emotional testimony over his role and his guilt resonated across the country, but his own story is still mostly untold.
In a new episode of “Into America,” Martin opens up to Trymaine Lee about his life before George Floyd, the trauma of that day and how he’s trying to move forward a year later.
Thoughts? Feedback? Story ideas? Write to us at intoamerica@nbcuni.com.
Find the transcript here.