The local chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People said today’s burial of George Floyd is a familiar tragedy but one that might bring about change.

“People are angry, mad, sad, frightened and fearful,” read a statement from the Kootenai County branch of the NAACP. “But this is not new ground. Solutions are created in discussions of collaboration and understanding, followed by improvements. Change always comes from the ground up.”

Floyd is being laid to rest today next to his mother’s grave in Pearland, Texas.

His death sparked protests across the country and around the world, including in Coeur d’Alene.

“The times are calling us to make a difference,” the statement said. “Let this moment not be passed. Persons of all ages, colors and backgrounds are sending a strong message, ‘Enough is Enough’. We need to elevate human life, asserting the necessity for people to value all persons of color as human beings.”

The local NAACP statement encouraged two different ways for people to enact change: by advocating for policy changes, and by holding elected leaders politically accountable at the voting booth.

“How do we keep young people engaged?” the statement asks. “Motivate them. Give them hope. Take that anger and rage to a voting booth. March to the Polls in November! It all starts there.”