Seventeen-year-old Darnella Frazier is set to receive a courage award in December for recording the killing of George Floyd on her cellphone.

The award, which is called the Benenson Courage Award from PEN America, is given to someone who shows exceptional bravery during the most challenging circumstances.

One of its previous recipients includes Anita Hill and student activists from Florida's Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. PEN America is a leading literary and human rights organization, according to a New York Post report.

"With nothing more than a cellphone and sheer guts, Darnella changed the course of history in this country, speaking a bold movement demanding an end to systemic anti-black racism and violence at the hands of police," PEN CEO Suzanne said in a report.

The statement released by PEN added that Darnella carried out the expressive act of being a witness, which allowed hundreds of millions around the world to see what she saw.

PEN's statement further noted that without Darnella's readiness to risk her own safety, the public might never have known the truth about Floyd's murder.

As shown in the video, Floyd died after police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck for eight minutes and 46 seconds. Viewers at first did not know who was the person behind the camera.

Frazier was walking with her cousin toward a store when she saw the terrible incident in front of her. Frazier later said that she was the one recording the whole thing in a NowThis video.

She said she was traumatized after seeing the incident, adding that she was just five feet away from where it actually happened. She then received a backlash from the internet for not intervening when she saw Floyd being killed.

With this, Frazier was forced to explain her side on Facebook. She said she does not expect anyone who was not in her position to understand, adding that she is just a minor and scared to fight off a cop.

George Floyd Murder Suspect

Chauvin was fired after the incident. He pinned Floyd down for about nine minutes while Floyd pleaded, saying he cannot breathe.

Chauvin is now facing a charge of second-degree murder, in addition to a charge of second-degree manslaughter. The three other cops involved in the incident were also fired and charged with aiding and abetting murder.

The three cops were Tou Thao, Thomas Lane, and J. Alexander Kueng, all three awaiting trial.

A family representative for Frazier said this week that the teen was humbled and very grateful for the said award. Frazier has not spoken publicly in detail about her role in recording the video.

Before he died, Floyd was being arrested by police outside a shop in Minneapolis, Minnesota. This was after he bought a pack of cigarettes from a grocery store.

According to a BBC News report, a store employee reported to the police that the $20 bill Floyd used to pay was a fake bill.

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