Experience the George Floyd Memorial in Virtual Reality

    MINNEAPOLIS, MN, July 02, 2020 /24-7PressRelease/ -- The tragic death of George Floyd has stirred the collective consciousness of the nation and the world. Thousands have marched, protested, and demanded change. Yet in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic traveling to the memorial is difficult for most. To provide citizens of the world with the opportunity to experience the George Floyd memorial in its entirety, PlaceVR producer Greg Kolbjornsen captured footage of the memorial and the community in which volunteers and activists pay their respects and residents go about their daily lives.

The George Floyd Memorial Virtual Reality tour (https://wwwplacevr.net/floyd) provides a 360-degree experience in which viewers can see more than the memorial. Watch to interact virtually with volunteers passing out hand sanitizer, groups of Black Lives Matters activists paying their respects, people praying, and community members feeding those traveling to the memorial in solidarity with the movement. Look around to see a street filled with names of those whose lives have ended in tragedy, see walls covered in graffiti with messages of "Revolution" and "Black Lives Matter." See the gas station sign that has been transformed into George Floyd Square next to a bus stop with signs of "Stop Killing Us," "Me Too," and "No Justice No Peace." In the background, volunteers shovel soil into beds created for a new community garden and interact with visitors.

"Shooting this video footage moved me in a different way than I thought it would. There was sadness and humanity and then waves of compassion and amazement in how peaceful things were in the midst of such chaos," said Kolbjornsen.

Surrounding the memorial, signs, volunteers, and flowers is a community full of residents who are just trying to get by. In the video, viewers will see the metro and a popular bus stop covered in graffiti, boarded up windows, decaying homes, and shuttered businesses. Poverty and racial disparities are the backdrops of 38th and Chicago. "This neighborhood needs more than a memorial. It needs an economic lift that will change the trajectory of its residents. The George Floyd memorial has given us an opportunity to bring awareness and attention to the economic disparities faced by communities of color throughout the United States," said Ron Kresha, Chief Operating Officer of Golden Shovel Agency.

PlaceVR and Golden Shovel Agency invite the world to watch this virtual reality video and to experience the fullness of the George Floyd memorial and the community where it was built. The video can be viewed with and without a virtual reality headset.

Join the conversation at https://www.placevr.net/floyd.

PLACEVR is a revolutionary new approach to economic development that harnesses emerging 360-degree video to create immersive experiences that drive business and workforce recruitment. As a division of Golden Shovel Agency, our productions combine a depth of experience in both virtual reality production, marketing, and communications to bring to life an entirely new strategy for attracting businesses, talent, and visitors. There is no better way to create a feeling of visiting a place without physically being there.

GOLDEN SHOVEL AGENCY is a Minnesota-based Web full-service economic development firm specializing in workforce attraction for economic and community development. The Economic Gateway Web system includes an expandable and on-demand content management system (CMS) and a robust social media implementation strategy.

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