Olatunji Adesina. O.
WASHINGTON D.C. – Five years have passed since the horrific police murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis ignited a global outcry, bringing the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement to the forefront of discussions on racial injustice and police brutality. Yet, as the bold yellow letters of the “Black Lives Matter” mural on Washington D.C.’s 16th Street were removed in March 2025, amidst threats of federal funding cuts, the question lingers: Has anything truly improved for Black lives?
The mural’s dismantling, a symbolic act that has sparked a mix of disappointment and renewed empowerment among its creators, underscores the ongoing struggle. Keyonna Jones, one of the artists who painted the iconic letters, told DW, “It feels just as powerful being removed. A mix of feelings: gratitude, overwhelmed, disappointed, but empowered because, yeah, art does things.” The mural, replicated globally within 24 hours of its creation, became a testament to the movement’s far-reaching impact.
A Turning Point That Yielded Limited Change
George Floyd’s dying words, “I can’t breathe,” captured on camera as a white police officer knelt on his neck for over nine minutes, galvanized millions. The subsequent protests in 2020 represented one of the largest protest movements in U.S. history, demanding systemic police reform and racial equality. The reverberations were felt worldwide, with solidarity protests in countries like Brazil, Colombia, Denmark, Italy, and Germany, highlighting a growing global awareness of racial injustice. Lawyer Laila Abdul-Rahman, who researches police violence at Goethe University Frankfurt, noted to DW that Floyd’s death “can be seen as a turning point,” contributing significantly to the discourse, even in academia.
However, five years later, the initial hopes for widespread change remain largely unfulfilled, particularly in the United States. In 2020, 52% of Americans polled by the Pew Research Center believed the protests would improve the lives of Black people. Today, that number has plummeted, with only 27% seeing positive change and a stark 72% reporting no improvement. Support for the Black Lives Matter movement itself has also seen a decline, from 67% in June 2020 to 52% currently, according to Pew Research.
Policy Rollbacks and Persistent Violence
A significant factor in this perceived stagnation is the current U.S. administration’s stance. Upon taking office, President Donald Trump ordered the cessation of all Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs in federal agencies, repealing executive orders that encouraged equal opportunities and discrimination prevention. His administration has also threatened to withhold federal funding from public schools to pressure them to eliminate diversity programs and discontinue teaching about racism and social justice.
Furthermore, the U.S. government has announced it will dismiss several lawsuits against police departments and effectively end investigations into police violence that were initiated in the wake of George Floyd’s murder, citing “flawed” methodology.
The grim reality of police violence persists. According to the non-profit Mapping Police Violence project, at least 1,365 people were killed by police in the U.S. in 2024, making it the deadliest year since the group began recording data in 2013. This represents a rate of roughly 3.7 people per day, or one killing every 6.5 hours on average. Racial disparities remain stark: Black people are 2.9 times more likely to be killed by police than white people in the U.S., with Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders facing an even higher disparity at 7.6 times more likely. Keyonna Jones tragically shared that she has lost six close friends to police violence or gunshots in her own neighborhood.
Globally, quantifying racist police violence remains a challenge due to underreporting in many countries. However, human rights organizations like Amnesty International have highlighted continued patterns, such as in Brazil, where police repeatedly kill individuals, predominantly young Black men, with little to no investigation or prosecution.
A Path Forward Amidst Disappointment
Despite the setbacks, some positive shifts are noted. Robert Samuels, co-author of the Pulitzer-Prize winning “His Name is George Floyd,” told DW that there has been a positive change in how racism is discussed. He also pointed to concrete policy changes, with at least 16 U.S. states banning the knee-to-neck maneuver that led to George Floyd’s death.
For individuals like Keyonna Jones, the fight is deeply personal and ongoing, regardless of political shifts. “Trump is not a factor for me,” she stated. “Black people have figured out how to survive all of our lives, all of these centuries, all these decades. And especially for me being born and raised in D.C., specifically Southeast D.C., where we’re under-resourced or forgotten about, the story of survival is not new to me. And so just to have somebody new in the administration, it doesn’t really rattle me at all.”
Five years after George Floyd’s murder, the call for Black lives to matter resonates, echoing the enduring spirit of resilience in the face of persistent challenges. The path to true justice and equality remains a long and arduous one, yet the determination to forge change persists.
