George Floyd's Legacy: 5 Years After Killing Sparked Nationwide Protests
By Peter Aitken
Five years ago today, George Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man, died after white police officer Derek Chauvin pinned him to the ground with his knee for 9 minutes and 29 seconds outside a corner store in Minneapolis. Floyd's death kicked off a global movement in response to anger at racial injustice and police brutality.
However, some of the changes that followed his death, and the legacy of Floyd himself, face an uncertain future in as many in America look to roll back diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives at institutions nationwide.
Why It Matters
Floyd died on May 25, 2020, with nationwide protests breaking out in response to his death. In the wake of those protests, the United States underwent a series of changes, including a greater focus on police accountability and reform.
This led to such practices as the wider use of body cameras on officers and review of the footage as well as several court cases re-examining the extent of protection officers receive.
Earlier this month, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously decided to reopen a Texas lawsuit against a police officer who fatally shot Ashtian Barnes during a 2016 traffic stop in Houston, citing a long-accepted protection known as the "moment of threat" doctrine allowing officers to discharge their weapon when feeling they are in danger. The Court requested that the circumstances around that "moment of threat" be re-examined and taken into consideration, potentially negating its effect.
George Floyd Square Anniversary Mural
A mural of George Floyd at George Floyd Square is adorned with yellow roses and paper notes on May 23 in Minneapolis, during a tribute marking nearly five years since his death. Karem Yucel/AFP via Getty Images
What To Know
Floyd's death kicked off a series of changes and actions across the country. Chief among these was the settlement known as a consent decree, which the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) had negotiated in response to scathing federal investigations carried out during the Biden administration. This included substantial attempts to reform the police department in Minneapolis and Louisville.
Additionally, the corner store outside which Floyd had been pinned down was turned into a living memorial, just one of many that appeared across the country to honor him and the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement.
One of the more substantial national changes included the attention to Confederate statues and monuments around the country that were reexamined and, in many cases, removed or renamed.
Breonna Taylor
Floyd's death occurred shortly after Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old Black medical worker, was shot and killed by police in Louisville, Kentucky, who executed a no-knock warrant at her apartment. Police said they did knock and announced themselves before knocking down the door with a battering ram.
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Taylor's boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, believing intruders were breaking in, fired his gun once, striking an officer in the leg. Officers returned fire, killing Taylor. A grand jury later decided not to charge any of the officers involved in the raid for Taylor's killing. Instead, one officer was charged for shooting into a neighboring home.
The DOJ's Consent Decrees Ended
Some of the changes implemented after Floyd's death may now prove only temporary in the face of recent decisions and initiatives. Last week, the DOJ announced that it would no longer pursue the consent decree, stating in a filing that it does not believe the agreement serves the public interest.
The Trump administration had delayed an implementation of the decree as part of its review of the legal strategy under new U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi.
The city of Louisville will no longer have to implement its police reforms as part of the initial decree, but Minneapolis will still be bound by a separate consent decree with the Minnesota Department of Human Rights, which was enacted in 2023 after a state report found longstanding racial discrimination within the police force.
Additionally, Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara has committed to upholding the terms of the original federal agreement regardless of the Trump administration's position.
Minneapolis Corner Store George Floyd
A portrait of George Floyd painted on the pavement at a memorial surrounded by flowers, artwork, and tributes outside a storefront at George Floyd Square in Minneapolis on May 22. Karem Yucel/AFP via Getty Images
The Future of George Floyd Square
The intersection where Floyd was pinned down has become known as George Floyd Square, attracting sculptures as well as a garden and murals and graffiti to commemorate his life. Flowers and stuffed animals litter the ground.
The area attracts visitors to this day, and debate rages as to what must happen to the space going forward. Activists insist that the space must be maintained to commemorate Floyd's legacy, while frustrated business owners want to return to the way things used to be and fully reopen the space for pedestrian and vehicular traffic.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said that the square serves as a "critical spot," but acknowledges that "people are calling for us to move forward," according to NPR.
A survey conducted for the city after Floyd's death found that most respondents wanted to see the streets and intersection return to full transportation access, and Frey in 2024 recommended a plan to do just that, but the city council instead voted to looking into establishing a pedestrian mall, NPR reported.
A Potential Pardon for Derek Chauvin
Chauvin was convicted of Floyd's murder in 2021 and sentenced to 22.5 years in prison. He was also sentenced to 21 years in federal prison for violating Floyd's civil rights, and he is serving the terms concurrently.
President Donald Trump shortly after taking office for his second term in January pardoned 2 police officers convicted in the 2020 killing of Karon Hilton-Brown, a 20-year-old Black man, raising questions about whether he would also potentially pardon Chauvin.
Trump has denied any current plans to pardon Chauvin. In March, when asked by reporters at the White House, he said, "No, I have not heard about that."
Trump's response hasn't stopped the rumors from persisting. However, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, who led the prosecution of Chauvin, told Newsweek in an emailed statement that "Derek Chauvin murdered George Floyd in front of the whole world."
"A pardon of Chauvin's federal conviction would only send him back to Minnesota to serve the remainder of his sentence in state prison," Ellison added. "The only conceivable purpose would be to show further disrespect for George Floyd—and for the rule of law."
Confederate Monuments
Nationwide attention focused on Confederate monuments and statues and the names of buildings across the country led to a number of changes, including a number of military bases being renamed. The Confederate names of two Virginia schools were changed in 2020 in response to this movement.
USA Today reported that in 2020 around 170 Confederate monuments had been removed, but by early 2024 that number had dropped to only two. More than 2,000 confederate symbols remain across the country, and some have even been restored including those Virginia schools reclaiming their names.
Trump in March ordered a review of monuments toppled in the wake of Floyd's murder, calling the effort a "widespread effort to rewrite our nation's history." He signed an executive order that would aim to undo the "revisionist movement" that took place in 2020 and was adopted at institutes and federal sites across the country.
The full effects of that order, named the "Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History" order, remain to be seen.
What People Are Saying
Representative Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, a Democrat and proponent of the Black Lives Matter movement, in a statement emailed to Newsweek said: "Five years. For five years we have carried the weight of George Floyd's murder. For five years we have called for a system that values Black life and ensures public safety.
"I am proud of the progress we've made, from organizing in our streets to the changes in local policy. I am grateful for the courage of our community in Minneapolis, and for the continued efforts of advocates fighting for justice every day. Because of these advocates, the world was forced to confront the violence embedded in our policing systems.
"But five years after George Floyd was murdered, there is still so much more work to do. Communities in Minneapolis and across this country continue to be over-policed and under-resourced. Too many families live with the fear that an encounter with law enforcement could turn deadly. And now, we face the horrifying possibility that Derek Chauvin could be pardoned. His pardon would be an insult to George's memory and to the millions who took to the streets demanding change. Justice undone is still justice denied.
"This anniversary is a reminder that we need lasting police reform. We need the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act and we need investments in our communities, not more militarized policing. George Floyd should be alive today and we will keep fighting in his name until we build a system that guarantees dignity and safety for all."
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