An indelible mark was made upon America’s collective consciousness on May 25, 2020, when George Floyd, a Black American, was held under the knee of a white police officer for notedly 8 minutes, 46 seconds that was later calibrated to 9 minutes, 29 seconds. Floyd drew his last breaths on a Minneapolis street, an incident that roused global attention within hours. Soon after, moments of silence reflective of this duration were observed in prominent spaces, such as the New York Stock Exchange, the United States Congress, and even at public vigils across Britain.
By early July 2020, it is estimated that about 26 million Americans had taken part in more than 4,700 demonstrations. The echo of this profound incident resounded across the UK, with cities from Bristol to Birmingham to Belfast witnessing hundreds of thousands in attendance at solidarity rallies. These events surpassed participation similar to that of Rock Against Racism in the Seventies. Protests reverberated across the globe, spanning 93 countries.
As shocking as the sheer numbers of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) rallies were, their magnitude was not the only extraordinary aspect. Suddenly, the sentiments appeared to dissolve as fast as they had surfaced. Now, five years later, the question remains – what bore the legacy of George Floyd in the USA and UK? Do the BLM protests symbolize a fleeting episode, or the foundation of a substantial movement that sparked significant progress?
A harsh critique of American BLM supporters posits that they have landed far from their intended outcome. Mathis Ebbinghaus, an aspiring scholar in sociology at Oxford University, scrutinized the BLM through a detailed study of police budgets from 2018 to 2021 across 264 key cities in the USA.
According to statistical records collected by the Washington Post, there has been an average of over 1,000 deaths annually at the hands of American police since 2015, with Black Americans succumbing at a rate over two times that of white Americans. The year 2024 marked a grim milestone – fatal police shootings reached a new peak, numbering 1,173.
In the UK, police reformation efforts have been more grounded but achieved only marginally enhanced outcomes. The murder of George Floyd and the longstanding mistrust between Black communities and police led to the National Police Chiefs’ Council and the College of Policing launching the Police Race Action Plan (PRAP) in May 2022.
Three years into its implementation, PRAP’s effectiveness has been underwhelming, attracting criticism despite some demonstrable progress. Examples of progress included an increased number of staff firings for discriminatory behavior from 2020 to 2023, declining rates of stop-and-search incidents and use of force against Black individuals, and a small rise in Black police officers. Still, these steps have not placated critics, especially those on the Left, who view this as a lost opportunity to reform police practices.
The pandering to this cause was evident in many areas, reaching its zenith in the corporate realm, which, too, faced considerable backlash recently. In the three years following Floyd’s death, companies had committed over $340 billion to address racial injustice through diversity targets, hiring dedicated personnel and launching novel training initiatives.
However, this newfound focus on acknowledging systemic bias was not universally welcomed amongst all employees. By the year 2024, this field’s growth began showing signs of fatigue, with positions related to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) experiencing attrition rates twice those of other job categories.
In the UK, the George Floyd incident was primarily processed via social media’s immediacy and reach. Desiring to express solidarity with racial justice, in June 2020, millions of social media users globally participated in the Blackout Tuesday campaign, marking their profiles with black squares.
Consequently, it is difficult to deny that BLM incurred substantial challenges on almost every front, from the political field and policing reforms to corporate settings and classrooms. The latter, in particular, saw an intense response in America towards BLM’s endorsement of ‘critical race theory’ – a contested interpretation of systemic racism.
Yet, hope perseveres in the grass roots – in localized organization, mutual aid, and youth activism. The legacy might not manifest in governmental actions but in the sustainable movements and communities that continue to advocate for justice.
Core principles of BLM, centered around justice, security, and respect are still pressing and actively contested. Progress, while not always featuring a straight trajectory or bearing immediate results, can have lasting impacts that unfold over time.
Paraphrasing it in layman’s terms: often, defining a man’s legacy requires significantly more time than the duration of his premature end.