Black Lives Matter Protests: What’s Been Achieved So Far

Date Published: August 13, 2020

The video of George Floyd’s death, in the wake of the murders of Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery, ignited an ongoing call for justice around the world -- and those in power are taking notice. The Black Lives Matter movement has already sparked some major changes across policing, government, education, entertainment, and more.

Of course, these victories don’t mean that the work is done. The officers who killed Breonna Taylor have yet to be charged. The parents of Elijah McClain -- a 23-year-old unarmed Black man who officers admitted had not committed a crime when he died in police custody -- is still pursuing a legal battle to hold his killers accountable. Rayshard Brooks, Atatiana Jefferson, David McAtee, and countless others have lost their lives at the hands of law enforcement, and their communities and loved ones are still pursuing justice. It’s going to take continued action and large-scale, systemic changes to truly achieve justice -- and a lot of cities are still struggling to truly meet the demands of their residents.

That being said, we should still recognize the tremendous impact that protestors, organizers, and activists have had on their communities over the course of the past few months. The officers who killed George Floyd have been charged and arrested, (as have the men who killed Ahmaud Arbery), and for the first time ever, racism is being widely acknowledged as a public health crisis in this country. Folks are continuing a centuries-long struggle for equality and building on work already achieved by so many before this moment. Here are some other recent wins for racial equality that we think are worth celebrating.

You’ll notice that a lot of these victories are happening at the local level. That’s why it’s so crucial to start with your own community when it comes to driving change. Learn how you can take action to disrupt racism in your community.

Police Reform

• Cities across the country are cutting funding to police departments. For example, the Los Angeles Budget Committee approved reallocating $133 million from the LAPD budget to other areas (like protecting municipal jobs from coronavirus-related furloughs). Other cities redirecting police funding include New York, Baltimore, Portland, Philadelphia, Seattle, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C..
• Since the death of George Floyd, 31 of the country’s 100 largest cities have passed policies restricting the use of chokeholds by law enforcement, driving the total number up to 62 of the country’s 100 largest cities with such policies.
• Breonna’s Law has been passed in Louisville, Kentucky, banning the kind of “no-knock” search warrant that led to Breonna Taylor’s death.
• New York state legislature repealed 50-a, a former law that obscured police disciplinary records from the public.
• In cities like Detroit, Buffalo, Dallas, and Charlotte, police departments are enacting and strengthening “duty-to-intervene” policies, which require officers to step in when their colleagues use excessive force.

Racist Relics

• Several monuments honoring enslavers, colonizers, and Confederate leaders have been removed since the start of the protests, including statues of Confederate General Stonewall Jackson in Richmond, Virginia and of Confederate President Jefferson Davis in Frankfurt, Kentucky.
• The Pentagon enacted a policy banning the Confederate flag from military bases around the world, and the Senate recently passed a provision to rename military bases named after Confederate officers.
• Mississippi is changing their state flag to no longer include the Confederate flag.
• NASCAR has banned the confederate flag from being flown at any of their events or racetracks.

Education

• School districts are adopting racial equity policies to desegregate schools, close racial gaps among students, and reform the way they teach and discipline students and hire and train staff. Among them are school districts in Milwaukee, Indianapolis, San Diego, and Philadelphia.
• Schools and colleges are ending their contracts with local police departments and working to phase police presence out of their campuses in favor of mental health and social work staff. These include schools in Seattle, Oakland, Denver, Minneapolis, and Milwaukee.
• School administrators in cities like Denver and Spokane are updating their curricula to include more diverse authors, histories, and subjects, as well as specifically anti-racist teachings.

Entertainment & Pop Culture

• Sports leagues are reversing course on their prior actions and statements and are now supporting their athletes in protesting for equality. The NFL “admit[ted they] were wrong for not listening to NFL players earlier,” condemning racism and encouraging Black athletes to continue speaking out (though they have failed to apologize directly to Colin Kaepernick). The NHL, MLB, NBA and WNBA have all started their seasons supporting Black Lives Matter with protests, speeches, and educational videos.
• The Washington Football Team is changing their previously racist name and mascot, something Native-led organizations have been calling for for years.
• The Paramount Network cancelled their long-running TV show Cops, following criticism that it glorified the over-policing of marginalized communities.
• Sesame Street held a town hall to teach kids about racism, privilege, and protest.
• Disney Parks is transforming their Splash Mountain ride (which is based on the racist Disney film Song of the South) into a Princess and the Frog themed attraction.
• Several shows have pulled episodes featuring blackface from streaming services, including 30 Rock, The Office, and Scrubs.
• Jenny Slate and Kristen Bell, who are both white actresses, announced that they’ll no longer voice biracial characters on the shows Big Mouth and Central Park, making room for Black actresses to voice them instead.