George Floyd hologram covers statue of Robert E. Lee in Richmond

A hologram of George Floyd made its debut Tuesday night in Richmond, Virginia, with the image projected onto a statue of Robert E. Lee.

Floyd, an unarmed Black man, died in late May, after a white Minneapolis police officer placed his knee on Floyd's neck for nearly nine minutes during an arrest. Floyd's death sparked protests against racism and police brutality around the world, and moved several cities to take down their statues and monuments to Confederate leaders.

The hologram, described as "a myriad of fireflies that form into a beautiful image of George Floyd," is part of a project created by change.org and the George Floyd Foundation. Organizers said the hologram will appear in five different states that were visited in 1961 by the Freedom Riders, with the image going over Confederate statues as a "symbolic call to continue the fight for racial justice."

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The Floyd family was able to first see the hologram on Monday night during a private event, where it covered the space where a monument to Jefferson Davis once stood. Floyd's brother, Rodney Floyd, said in a statement that the hologram "will allow my brother's face to be seen as a symbol for change in places where change is needed most." Catherine Garcia