As we await hearing from Floyd's family at the White House, let's take a look across the pond.

Events are taking place around the UK today to mark this first anniversary of the murder of George Floyd:

• Campaign group Stand Up To Racism today called on people nationwide to #TakeTheKnee , externalat their place of work, college or elsewhere in their communities. "We want to show that the overwhelming majority want to end racism and discrimination," the group said
• Evening vigils and gatherings to mark the day are planned in cities including London, Bristol, Birmingham and Manchester
• In Scotland, a Black Lives Matter vigil has been held at the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh, with people kneeling, laying flowers and leaving messages

• Meanwhile in Wales, a poem written in tribute to Floyd by Welsh-Zimbabwean Kel Matsena entitled Are You Numb Yet? is being projected on a museum in Swansea

In addition to the marches and events taking place across the country today, there were also demonstrations in honour of George Floyd this past weekend.

Watch our round-up of the rallies - from Portland, Oregon, to Houston, Texas - below.

Demonstrations and marches are being held across the country.

In New York City, Mayor Bill de Blasio joined civil rights activist Rev Al Sharpton in kneeling in silence for 9 minutes and 29 seconds - the time that Derek Chauvin knelt on Floyd's neck.

Image source, Getty Images

In Los Angeles, demonstrators gathered for a Black Lives Matter protest near City Hall.

Image source, Getty Images

The Minneapolis intersection where Floyd took his last breaths has been turned into a memorial site - George Floyd Square. Today, many demonstrators have gathered there to pay their respects.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

BBC World Service radio has been catching up with three black Americans who have shared their perspective on US race relations over the past year.

Brian Barefield spoke to us last June from outside Floyd’s funeral in his hometown of Houston, Texas.

"You can see George’s presence is still being felt around the city," he told the Outside Source programme, adding that Houston recently dedicated a city park to him.

"Speaking as an African-American male, not much has changed after the initial shock of what happened," he says about racism and police reforms.

"As time went on it just became a little bit more faint,” he continues, adding that black people are still "fighting for their rights to just be treated like a regular everyday American citizen".

Terencio Safford, who lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where Floyd was killed, says that "justice was served" when ex-officer Derek Chauvin was jailed for the murder.

“We’re in a place now where I think we can be better together,” he says, adding that there is still "hurt and pain and grief" in the community.

Jerri P Beasley, a radio host in Houston, has called the past year "tumultuous" for African Americans.

"A lot of people have been traumatised this past year," she says. One 14-year-old boy recently told her that he felt "haunted, just like a walking time bomb waiting to be shot by the police".

"You can be shot and killed, and nobody knows why," she says.

All three say they have been pulled over by police in the last year, leading them to fear for their lives.

"The feeling is heavy. It's really, really heavy and you don't know what to expect. And it can leave you traumatised after a simple thing like a traffic stop," Safford says.

Image source, Getty Images

George Floyd's family, including his daughter Gianna, have arrived at the White House to meet with President Joe Biden.

The meeting will be private, the White House says, but we may hear from the family afterward.

Earlier today, Biden wrote on Twitter that the Floyd family had shown "extraordinary courage" in the year since Floyd's murder.

"Last month’s conviction was a step towards justice – but we cannot stop there," Biden wrote. "We face an inflection point. We have to act."

Just ahead of the meeting, the White House also announced Biden will travel to Tulsa, Oklahoma, on 1 June to mark the 100th anniversary of the Tulsa Race massacre - one of the biggest race killings in US history, in which an estimated 300 black Americans died.

Watch what happened on that deadly day in 1921.

We heard from our North America reporter earlier about how the US Congress is tackling police reform - but how else have things changed in the last year?

Here's a look at a few policies from across the US:

• In Minneapolis, where George Floyd was killed, the city council voted to defund the police (that is, to divert money from police departments to other social services) but the mayor stopped them from taking the more radical step of replacing the police department entirely
• In Atlanta, where police killed another unarmed black man last year, the city's mayor limited police use of deadly force, but the police haven't been defunded
• In New York City, the mayor has cut hundreds of millions of dollars from the police and promised to give it to youth and social services
• Statues to the leaders of the pro-slavery Confederacy, which fought against the US in the 1861-1865 Civil War, have been torn down across the country
• The US military has vowed to rename bases that are dedicated to Confederate soldiers

Read more:

BBC Newsround: What has changed since Floyd's death?

Last month, former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty for the murder of George Floyd.

Watch the most critical exchanges from 14 days of testimony and 45 witnesses.

Police say that they were called to the George Floyd memorial in Minneapolis after reports of gunshots fired at 10:09 local time this morning.

Callers reported seeing a car fleeing the scene "at a high rate of speed", according to a press release from the police.

"A short period of time later" a person showed up at a nearby hospital with a gunshot wound that was not life-threatening.

"This is an evolving incident. No further information is available at this time," according to the police statement.

Anthony Zurcher
BBC North America reporter

Last June, attempts in Congress to pass policing reform legislation in the immediate aftermath of George Floyd’s death ran aground as Democrats approved sweeping legislation in the House of Representatives but blocked a proposal in the then-Republican-controlled Senate they said was too weak.

Now, at the urging of Democratic President Joe Biden, the two parties are once more attempting to reach a bipartisan agreement.

After Democrats in the House again passed a reform bill without Republican support, the two parties are negotiating in the Senate, this time with Republicans threatening to block measures they find objectionable.

The key sticking point is defining standards for when police officers can be criminally prosecuted and rolling back their "qualified immunity" protections, which largely shield individual officers from being sued in civil court for their on-the-job actions.

Democrats see this as an important step in police accountability, while Republicans are concerned it will lead to legal harassment of law enforcement officers.

Both parties have moved toward compromise in other areas, such as a ban on chokeholds, limiting the transfer of military-grade equipment to local police and setting limits on "no-knock" warrants.

Some pieces for an agreement appear to be falling in place, although Biden’s deadline for an agreement by the anniversary of Floyd’s death is unlikely – and in Washington’s overheated partisan environment, the potential for failure is always high.

Image source, Getty Images

Members of George Floyd's family have just held a meeting on Capitol Hill with top Democrat Nancy Pelosi.

It comes as a police reform bill named after George Floyd stalls in Congress.

"They've been working tremendously to help push the issue of getting this law passed," Floyd's brother, Philonise Floyd, told reporters.

"I thank you all so much. Our families thank you that you are all here today."

The family will be meeting with President Joe Biden and Vice-President Kamala Harris for a private gathering at the White House later today.

Barbara Plett Usher
BBC News, Minneapolis

At George Floyd Square the morning was rudely interrupted by live gun fire.

We took shelter behind vehicles as shots rang out. It sounded like about 30 rounds.

The perpetrator was shooting outside the perimeter of the square and reportedly left in a car when a local patrol gave chase.

It’s not clear why this happened, the speculation we’re hearing here is that it was some kind of personal dispute, perhaps gang related.

It’s not uncommon to hear gunfire in this area, but organisers do not want the incident to distract attention from remembering George Floyd and celebrating his life.

Racism is not only an "American problem", says Afrika Green, who set up a community group in her hometown of Suffolk to discuss race issues after the death of Floyd.

Green, 30, spoke out at a protest about her own experiences of racism and established BSE4BL - Bury St Edmunds for Black Lives.

The group aims to be a "community for ethnic minorities" and a "safe place".

A year on from Floyd's murder, Green said: "George Floyd's death sparked in me a need to talk about the racism I had experienced growing up, and to... refute those claims that racism only is an American problem."

Image source, Getty Images

Speaking at a news conference on Tuesday, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau vowed to continue to fight to stop racism.

"Mr Floyd’s death was a tragedy," he told reporters.

"And it was a reminder that there are still too many people living with anti-black racism and injustice, including here in Canada."

He added that his government has worked to end "ineffective" mandatory minimum jail terms for certain crimes and to establish a black entrepreneurship programme.

"Our government is working with black communities across the country to make sure nobody is left behind," the Liberal party leader said.

"We will continue to take real action to fight systemic racism and create more opportunities for black Canadians, and for everyone."

Trudeau himself has faced accusations of racism before - in 2019, it emerged that he had worn blackface at a school event. It nearly sunk his bid for a second term.

George Floyd's death last year sparked a global response - with weeks of protests and demonstrations across the world.

Today is no different - people are turning out around the world to mark the anniversary of his death.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, EPA

Former US President Barack Obama has been tweeting about "reasons to hope" one year on from Floyd's murder.

"More people in more places are seeing the world more clearly than they did a year ago," he writes, adding: "It's a tribute to all those who decided that this time would be different — and that they, in their own ways, would help make it different."

Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has also been posting her thoughts, along with a quote from John Lewis, the civil rights champion and later US congressman who died last July at the age of 80.

Image source, Getty Images

More now on the apparent gunfire at George Floyd Square that we reported on earlier.

Journalists on the ground in Minneapolis say the area is all clear after hearing what seemed to be gunfire.

Video posted by Associated Press reporter Philip Crowther shows the moment the sounds were heard. There are three initial bangs - that sound like shots - followed by around 20 more. Then, after a brief pause, several loud bangs sound off in close succession. Some people run away, others duck for cover.

Reporting from the scene, the BBC's Barbara Plett Usher says that the "initial picture" is that an unknown gunman fired at the square from outside.

Police fired back and chased the suspect, she said. There is early speculation that the incident is gang-related.

George Floyd Square has become a permanent place of memorial in the year since Floyd died. Today, it is a busy place, filled with activists and reporters.

Image source, Getty Images

We've been taking a look at the impact of George Floyd's death around the world, so let's now turn back to how the day is being marked in the US.

It's going to be a busy day as people commemorate the life of George Floyd.

• Beginning at 1200 local time (1700 BST), the George Floyd Memorial Foundation will begin its day-long celebration in Minneapolis. Organisers say the day will celebrate life through black culture, art and history
• At 1400 local (1900 BST), a memorial celebration for Floyd will take place at the newly named George Floyd Square - the intersection where Floyd was arrested by police on the day he died
• President Joe Biden will host the family of George Floyd at the White House
• Elsewhere, organisers in Dallas are holding a solidarity march and rally
• A California-based symphony is streaming a free concert in honour of Floyd
• And US broadcaster BET (Black Entertainment Television) will also pay tribute to Floyd, broadcasting performances by Jon Batiste, Nas and activist Anthony Hamilton

From Black Lives Matter to Belarus to Hong Kong, protests have barely been out of the news since May 2020, when George Floyd died.

But how often do protesters achieve the change they demand? How does people's power transform history?

A political historian and an expert on race and media look back on previous protests that did - and didn't - achieve their goals.

The events of the year since Floyd's death have been paramount in forging the way for difficult conversations around systemic racism, police violence, true allyship and racial injustice.

For some, the rare conviction of ex-police officer Derek Chauvin in Floyd's death has proven that the justice system works, while for others it’s simple – if all were equal under the law then George Floyd would still be alive.

Many believe that until structural changes are made nothing meaningful can come from the conviction.

At the height of worldwide protests, BBC World Service journalist Sandrine Lungumbu spoke to three young black people from around the world about the impact watching the video of Floyd's death had on them.

She caught up with all three recently to find out what Chauvin's conviction means to them.

Read the full story here: Floyd death anniversary 'nothing to celebrate'

Reporters at George Floyd Square in Minneapolis - the place where Floyd was arrested last year and where activists are gathering today - say they heard the sound of gunfire, though the source of the sound has not yet been established.

Video from the square now shows a quiet scene - no further sounds have been heard.

Some people ran from the sound, reporters say, and others sheltered in place. There is so far no indication that anyone has been hurt.

George Floyd Square has become a gathering spot for memorials honouring Floyd and others who have lost their lives at the hands of police.