LINDSAY WHITEHURST
Associated Press
Before George Floyd stopped pleading for air beneath a police officer's knee, 19-year-old Weidmayer Pierre was planning to work at Wal-Mart during his summer break from Palm Beach State College.
Now his days look completely different. Pierre has quit his retail job to focus on organizing Black Lives Matter protests every few days in Florida, determined to channel the groundswell of energy around the world into meaningful reform in his hometown.
"Every time someone gets killed by police brutality we protest once or twice and it's done," said Pierre, who wants to help police improve the system from within. "This time, I'm not planning on stopping until we have a change."
Pierre is part of a grassroots, decentralized wave of young organizers across th
