3 Years after Massive Protests, Have We Made Any Progress Towards Racial Justice?
The summer of 2020 remains etched in the minds of many — the weeks and months of somber vigils, deep mourning, awareness raising, and powerful demonstrations that took place around the world as George Floyd’s death at the hands of Minneapolis police sparked outrage worldwide. It was a galvanizing moment for Black Lives Matter activists as well as for people who may not have identified as active participants in social justice movements prior to the uprising.
Yet here we are nearly three years since those massive protests, and it’s fair to ask whether progress has been made in achieving racial justice. What does this past year tell us about how far we’ve come? How much further do we still need to go?
Protests Following George Floyd’s Death
In the wake of George Floyd’s killing in 2020, the world watched in shock as protests broke out all around the globe. Shaking off the feeling of helplessness they so often experienced when it came to speaking out against police brutality and racial inequity, people everywhere felt called to action to right this horrific wrong.
The many demonstrations over the last three years have taken on many forms, including peaceful marches with legions of protestors chanting together, peaceful gatherings near sites of injustice with supporters delivering powerful speeches and performances, and acts of civil disobedience that aimed to disrupt the status quo systems that perpetuated racism. Deeply moved by a shared collective grief, communities across cultures and continents found strength and unity in their pursuit of justice and accountability amidst an unrelenting cycle of discrimination and violence.
Examining How Police Reforms and Laws Have Changed
Three years since George Floyd’s death and the subsequent mass protests against police brutality, reforming the system has become an even greater priority. Changes have yet to be seen at a federal level. However, individual states are introducing their own modifications. From body cameras to special prosecutors for investigating misconduct, many new laws are significantly more protective of civil rights compared to those passed before 2020.
Progress is being made, but progress sometimes frustratingly slowly. Within the first year after George Floyd’s death, states passed nearly 150 new laws regarding police oversight and reform. They restricted the use of force by police, regulated no knock warrants, and prohibited the use of neck restraints and other forms of excessive force. Pushback from law enforcement and other pro-police groups activists was immediate and sustained.
The Continued Perpetuation of Racial Injustice
2020 was a watershed moment for racial injustice and police brutality. Three years since the George Floyd protests, there is still so much further to go in terms of advocating for social justice reform. We have all seen the horrific videos that continue to surface, illustrating extreme levels of violence and brutality against people of color.
This serves as a stark reminder that systemic change is necessary if we hope to combat racism and enact greater equity. It’s heartbreaking, but it’s important to remember that the struggle against oppression is not won overnight. It’s been an ongoing effort for centuries. Means meaningful and lasting change will take a sustained effort over many years — but it’s something worth striving for.
Looking Ahead
It’s been three long years since the murder of George Floyd led to calls for racial justice across the globe, yet progress is still agonizingly slow. It is logical to feel disheartened and pessimistic when considering how far we haven’t come. However, this should not prevent us from continuing to advocate and act on behalf of others. If history teaches us anything, it’s that we have no way of predicting what lies ahead and what brave actions people will take on behalf of racial justice. We must remain mindful that tangible results take time to obtain but are attainable with resilience, dedication, and understanding.
The protests that ensued in the wake of this tragedy prompted widespread awareness and conversation about institutional racism and police brutality, but there must be sustained momentum if we are to make meaningful progress as a society. We must remain committed to dismantling systemic racism no matter how long it takes. Those who have suffered injustice must always have somebody fighting alongside them.
If lasting change is going to be made, we must all take responsibility for our society indefinitely, continuing to challenge any form of structural oppression when we find it. Thus, we must not forget George Floyd or any more heartbreaking cases like his which followed; this should instead incite us even further in our uprising against racism and police brutality — it is a cause worth never giving up on.
