Pew: Most Americans say George Floyd's killing didn't lead to racial justice changes

A vast majority of Americans say the increased focus on race and racial inequality after George Floyd's killing did not lead to changes that improved the lives of Black Americans, a new Pew Research Center survey finds.Why it matters: Floyd's 2020 murder by Minneapolis officer Derek Chauvin kneeling on his neck sparked international protests and calls to tackle systemic racism, but five years later, that momentum appears all but gone. The big picture: The Black Lives Matter movement convinced companies to commit to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, but President Trump's anti-DEI executive orders have now forced many corporations to abandon those promises. By the numbers: Five years later, 72% of Americans say the increased focus on racial inequality didn't lead to significant changes that helped Black people, the survey released Wednesday found. Now 52% of Americans express support for the Black Lives Matter movement, a 15 percentage points drop from June 2020.In addition, 49% doubt that Black Americans will ever have equal rights with white Americans, up from 39% in 2020.More than half of U.S. adults (54%) say the relationship between Black people and police is about the same as before Floyd was killed. A third say things are now worse, while just 11% say things are better.Zoom in: Support for the Black Lives Matter movement remained high among Black adults, Latinos, Democrats and young adults, while fading among white Americans.Black adults (76%), Hispanics (61%) and Asian Americans (61%) still express greater support for Black Lives Matter than white adults (45%). Among Democrats, Black Lives Matter garners 84% support vs. 22% among Republicans.Between the lines: The Black Lives Matter movement is a shell of itself from five years ago. Leaders have moved on to jobs or other causes, and few figures have replaced them.Many Black Americans who crowded the streets in 2020 also have stepped back from the renewed anti-Trump protests — torn between the urgency of the moment and the spiritual toll of relentless resistance.In Washington, D.C., Black Lives Matter Plaza near the White House was quietly dismantled in March after funding threats from Republicans — a symbolic setback in what once was the epicenter of 2020's racial reckoning. There is almost no protest over that move. What they're saying: Sunny Slaughter, a law enforcement expert and CourtTV legal analyst, says she understands why so many Americans feel like the racial reckoning didn't lead to lasting change."People feel exhausted. The momentum of 2020 doesn't look the same—and I get that.""We've gone from reform to reframing—and now, to recalibration," Slaughter said. "We're not where we hoped we'd be. But we're not where we were either."Zoom out: Half of U.S. adults say they feel exhausted extremely often or very often when thinking about the state of race and racial issues in the U.S. today.82% of Black Americans say the nation has not gone far enough when it comes to Black people having equal rights with White people. About half or fewer among white, Hispanic and Asian Americans say this, the poll found.Methodology: The report is based on the responses of 5,079 U.S. adults from Feb. 10-17, 2025. This includes adults on the Center's American Trends Panel (ATP). Interviews were conducted either online or by telephone with a live interviewer. The survey is weighted to be representative of the U.S. adult population by gender, race, ethnicity, partisan affiliation, education and other factors.The margin of sampling error is ±1.6 percentage points at the 95% confidence level.

Comments

World news

Germany shows UK how it's done in new plan to turn migrants away at the border

Express

John Fetterman reduced a female staffer to tears with outburst of ‘why does everyone hate me!’ at teachers’ union meeting

about 2 hours ago

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and other US tech leaders testify to Congress on AI competition with China

Independent

Comments

Similar News

Days Before Conclave, Cardinals in Rome Pitch Messages to the Pews

World news

Germany shows UK how it's done in new plan to turn migrants away at the border

EU dealt 'Irexit' warning as support for bloc in Ireland falling

Why Cardinal Robert Prevost has to change his name to Pope Leo XIV

New Pope Leo XIV slammed Donald Trump and JD Vance in migrant row

The EU will hold talks later this month on reviewing ties with Israel as concern mounts over Gaza

The conclave to elect Pope Leo XIV was short, but it wasn’t the shortest ever

John Fetterman reduced a female staffer to tears with outburst of ‘why does everyone hate me!’ at teachers’ union meeting

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and other US tech leaders testify to Congress on AI competition with China

Pope Leo XIV: What the new pope’s name choice says about his future plans

Warning issued for common appliance - found in two out of five homes - that increases cancer risk for children

‘We can’t let it go down the drain like Detroit’: Jon Voight is Trump’s Hollywood ally looking to save US production

Conclave live: Cardinal Robert Prevost, now Leo XIV, becomes first US-born pope

Jennifer Aniston's alleged stalker appears in court shirtless and a judge orders a mental evaluation

Trump welcomes new American-born pope and says he can’t wait to meet him - despite Leo XIV once blasting Vance

Who is the new Pope Robert Prevost? As Francis’s successor is named

Who is the new pope?

'Habemus Papam': New pope elected - and name he will take is Pope Leo XIV

How India and Pakistan Can Pull Back From the Brink

Who is new Pope Robert Prevost? Pope Leo XIV first US leader of Catholic church

Spanish Deputy Prime Minister Yolanda Díaz targeted by man 'with knives' in murder bid

New Pope Leo XIV's brutal 4-word JD Vance comments resurface

VE Day: 'My Polish grandad woke up with night terrors after WW2 - he chose to come to Britain to keep fighting'

Watch Pope Leo XIV's first public address - in full

Charity linked to Prince Harry admits human rights abuses in Congo park

Bill Gates plans to give away most of his fortune by 2045

Who is Robert Prevost, the new Pope Leo XIV?

Tempers flare as Trump taps doctor-turned-influencer for surgeon general

Blairmore, Alta. man charged with child sexual exploitation offences

WestJet suspends 9 U.S. routes due to lower demand

Bodycam footage relinquished in fatal officer-involved shooting in northern Quebec

Ontario reports almost 200 new measles cases as virus spreads across Canada

Restrictions in place to fight spread of Manitoba wildfires, province says

What Canada could learn from Trump’s new trade deal with U.K.

Quebec bill to regulate supervised drug consumption locations gets mixed reviews

Dead grey whale washes up on western Vancouver Island beach

The Moment Pope Leo XIV Emerged on the Balcony

The Real Stars of the Papal Conclave: Seagulls

U.S. Government to Stop Tracking the Costs of Extreme Weather

Here’s the latest.

Who Is Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, the New Pope? What to Know About Leo XIV

You could have made a fortune betting on an American pope

US still wants chlorinated chicken in UK shops, here’s why it won’t happen

Eurovision 2025: Semi-final and final dates, full list of acts and odds

England’s new boy wonder ‘is bloody good at golf’

Trump celebrates trade deal as a big win – but he needed it more than he’ll admit

Svetlana Dali, accused stowaway at JFK International Airport, tried elsewhere

Trump hails trade deal that opens British market to farm products, other goods

Spain's airport operator breaks silence over bedbug infestation claims at major hub

New Pope Leo XIV: Everything we know about Robert Francis Prevost

Canary Islands chaos as huge anti-tourism protest to wreak havoc – only one place spared

Donald Trump and Keir Starmer announce 'historic' US-UK trade deal

New Pope elected as white smoke rises from the roof of the Sistine Chapel

‘I beat him’: Biden gives blunt answer after The View asks why Trump remains fixated on him

Tesla worker says he was fired after setting up anti-Elon Musk website

Walmart heirs are creating STEM college and it will be located near the company’s HQ

A college student was stopped after turning right on red. Now she could be deported

Trump does Sean Connery impression while discussing future of James Bond in US-UK trade deal

Tom Brady reveals his regrets over infamous Netflix roast

White smoke appears over Sistine Chapel as Conclave elects new Pope

Ex-model tearfully tells jury that Harvey Weinstein sexually assaulted her when she was 16