How Our World Changed

This year, Upfront is publishing a series of articles highlighting racism in the U.S. and efforts to combat it.

When 15-year-old Kennedy Green learned about the death of George Floyd this past May, she was outraged. Floyd, a Black man, was killed by a white police officer in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

The officer pressed his knee into Floyd’s neck for more than 8 minutes, slowly suffocating him. Video of the killing sent shockwaves across the country—and prompted Kennedy, who is Black, to take action.

She and five other teenage girls organized a Black Lives Matter protest in Nashville, Tennessee, to call for an end to police violence and racism.
The rally, which attracted 10,000 people, was one of the largest against white supremacy ever held in the city, and people of all races joined in it.

“I’m happy a lot of people are realizing that there’s a problem with the system,” says Kennedy. “I don’t want to see kids after us have to protest.”

Kennedy is among the millions of people who’ve marched and rallied in the wake of Floyd’s death. The protests, which have taken place all across America and spread around the globe, began as demonstrations against police violence toward Black people. But before long, they touched nearly all aspects of American life—prompting changes to everything from flags and monuments to food brands and sports.

“It looks, for all the world, like these protests are achieving what very few do: setting in motion a period of significant, sustained, and widespread social, political change,” says Douglas McAdam, a professor at Stanford University who studies social movements.

When 15-year-old Kennedy Green learned about the death of George Floyd this past May, she was outraged. Floyd, a Black man, was killed by a white police officer in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

The officer pressed his knee into Floyd’s neck for more than eight minutes, slowly suffocating him. Video of the killing sent shockwaves across the country. It drove Kennedy, who is Black, to take action.

She and five other teenage girls organized a Black Lives Matter protest in Nashville, Tennessee. They wanted to use the demonstration to call for an end to police violence and racism.

The rally attracted 10,000 people. It was one of the largest against white supremacy ever held in the city, and people of all races joined it.

“I’m happy a lot of people are realizing that there’s a problem with the system,” says Kennedy. “I don’t want to see kids after us have to protest.”

Kennedy is among the millions of people who’ve marched and rallied in the wake of Floyd’s death. The protests have taken place all across America and spread around the globe. They began as demonstrations against police violence toward Black people. But before long, they touched nearly all aspects of American life. In fact, the wave of action has sparked changes to everything from flags and monuments to food brands and sports.

“It looks, for all the world, like these protests are achieving what very few do: setting in motion a period of significant, sustained, and widespread social, political change,” says Douglas McAdam, a professor at Stanford University who studies social movements.

Floyd’s death followed on the heels of other highly publicized killings of Black Americans, including Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery. There’s a long history of police violence targeting Black Americans, and Black activists have continually protested racism in policing, criminal justice, and many other aspects of U.S. society.

But the three recent killings brought widespread attention to the issues. And they sparked a movement unlike any this country has seen since at least the 1960s.

Polls conducted in June suggest that about 15 million to 26 million people in the U.S. had by then participated in the demonstrations. That would make the movement the largest in American history, according to some experts. The protests peaked on June 6, when half a million people turned out in nearly 550 places across the United States.

The demonstrations accomplished a lot—and quickly.

In just a few weeks after they began, many cities and states made changes to their police forces. A number of them, including the states of Iowa, New Jersey, and New York, banned the use of chokeholds by law enforcement. In New York, lawmakers repealed a law that kept police disciplinary records secret. And in Minneapolis, where Floyd was killed, the city council voted to dismantle its police department and create a new system of public safety.

But a lot of the changes that the protests have brought about so far are cultural. They’ve had to do with flags, symbols, mascots, and statues connected to the nation’s racist history.

In June, Mississippi’s governor signed a bill to remove the Confederate battle emblem from the state flag that had flown over Mississippi for more than a century. Statues of Confederate soldiers were also toppled across the country. To many, Confederate flags, symbols, and statues are painful reminders of the South’s history of slavery and its efforts to maintain a system of racial oppression.

Floyd’s death followed other killings of Black Americans, including Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery, that have gotten a lot of attention. There’s a long history of police violence targeting Black Americans. Black activists have continually protested racism in policing, criminal justice, and many other aspects of U.S. society.

But the three recent killings brought widespread attention to the issues. And they sparked a movement unlike any this country has seen since at least the 1960s.

Polls conducted in June suggest that about 15 million to 26 million people in the U.S. had by then participated in the demonstrations. That would make the movement the largest in American history, according to some experts. The protests peaked on June 6. On that day, half a million people turned out in nearly 550 places across the United States.

The demonstrations accomplished a lot. Many of the changes have happened quickly.

Just a few weeks after the protests began, many cities and states began to make changes to their police forces. A number of them, including the states of Iowa, New Jersey, and New York, banned the use of chokeholds by law enforcement. In New York, lawmakers repealed a law that kept police disciplinary records secret. And in Minneapolis, where Floyd was killed, the city council voted to dismantle its police department and create a new system of public safety.

But a lot of the changes that the protests have brought about so far are cultural. They’ve had to do with flags, symbols, mascots, and statues connected to the nation’s racist history.

In June, Mississippi’s governor signed a bill to remove the Confederate battle emblem from the state flag that had flown over Mississippi for more than a century. Statues of Confederate soldiers were also toppled across the country. To many, Confederate flags, symbols, and statues are painful reminders of the South’s history of slavery and its efforts to maintain a system of racial oppression.

Quaker Oats announced that it would change its 131-year-old Aunt Jemima brand of syrup and pancake mix, saying the brand’s name and logo of a Black woman are “based on a racial stereotype” dating back to the time of slavery. Other brands long criticized for perpetuating racial stereotypes, such as Uncle Ben’s rice, are also getting rebranded. For years, many people had pointed out that those images are derived from and glorify a racist past.

Even the world of sports saw changes in the wake of the protests. NASCAR banned Confederate flags from its auto races after Bubba Wallace, a Black driver, called on the organization to do so. And the N.F.L. put out a video apologizing for previously failing to support players who protested police violence by kneeling during the national anthem.

The discussions around race moved beyond Black and white. The Washington Redskins, an N.F.L. team, announced in July that it would change its name, which is defined as a racial slur against Native Americans. And baseball’s Cleveland Indians said it would look into doing the same.

Quaker Oats announced that it would change its 131-year-old Aunt Jemima brand of syrup and pancake mix. The company said that the brand’s name and logo of a Black woman are “based on a racial stereotype” dating back to the time of slavery. Other brands long criticized for perpetuating racial stereotypes are also getting rebranded. That includes Uncle Ben’s rice. For years, many people had pointed out that those images come from and glorify a racist past.

Even the world of sports saw changes in the wake of the protests. NASCAR banned Confederate flags from its auto races after Bubba Wallace, a Black driver, called on the organization to do so. And the N.F.L. put out a video apologizing for previously failing to support players who protested police violence by kneeling during the national anthem.

The discussions around race moved beyond Black and white. The Washington Redskins, an N.F.L. team, announced in July that it would change its name, which is defined as a racial slur against Native Americans. And baseball’s Cleveland Indians team said it would look into doing the same.

These actions have come as public opinion has shifted on issues of race. A Monmouth University survey from June found that 76 percent of Americans consider racism and discrimination a “big problem”—up from 51 percent in 2015.

Also in June, more than half of Americans (including 42 percent of white people) said they support the Black Lives Matter movement, according to a poll by Civiqs. That’s up from 37 percent (and 28 percent of white people) two summers ago.

What’s behind these changing attitudes? Experts say that years of pressure from Black Lives Matter activists and a changing population might have something to do with it. Younger Americans are much more racially diverse than earlier generations. They tend to have different views on race. And their imprint on society is growing.

Still, a significant portion of the country hasn’t responded favorably to the protests. And President Trump has called the phrase “Black Lives Matter” a “symbol of hate” and criticized some of the recent moves, including NASCAR’s decision to ban the Confederate flag.

These actions have come as public opinion has shifted on issues of race. A Monmouth University survey from June found that 76 percent of Americans consider racism and discrimination a “big problem.” That was up from 51 percent in 2015.

Also in June, more than half of Americans (including 42 percent of white people) said they support the Black Lives Matter movement, according to a poll by Civiqs. That’s up from 37 percent (and 28 percent of white people) two summers ago.

What’s behind these changing attitudes? Experts say that years of pressure from Black Lives Matter activists and a changing population might have something to do with it. Younger Americans are much more racially diverse than earlier generations. They tend to have different views on race. And their mark on society is growing.

Still, a significant part of the country hasn’t responded favorably to the protests. And President Trump has called the phrase “Black Lives Matter” a “symbol of hate.” He’s even criticized some of the recent moves, including NASCAR’s decision to ban the Confederate flag.

Many experts say this moment of racial reckoning is also the result of a combination of major events: the horrific nature of Floyd’s death, captured on a video that went viral, coupled with frustration over the coronavirus pandemic and the economic collapse that has come with it.

“All of that, I believe, is converging at this point to make people, white people in particular, think through America,” says Carol Anderson, a professor of African American studies at Emory University.

Indeed, as the protests spread, more and more white people joined in. One study of the demonstrations on a weekend in June found that white protesters made up more than half of those surveyed in Los Angeles, New York City, and Washington, D.C. Experts say that’s one big difference between this current racial justice movement and past ones, such as the civil rights movement of the 1950s and ’60s.

“I was shocked to see so many white kids out here,” Walter Wiggins, a Black 67-year-old, said at a protest in Washington, D.C., in June. He attended civil rights protests as a kid in the 1960s. “Back then, it was just Black folks.”

Young people also make up a large portion of those protesting.

Jacob Schechtman, a white 19-year-old, helped organize a demonstration with his classmates outside Orange High School in Pepper Pike, Ohio, in June. He says where he lives, racism and police violence aren’t “something that a lot of kids talk about.”

But Floyd’s death, and the protests that followed, made him reflect on what it means to be white in America.

“The color of my skin gives me privilege,” he says. “And that’s why I’m choosing to use it to stand up for others.”

Other white Americans say Floyd’s death has also made them think more honestly about race. Many have purchased books about racial inequality, signed up for webinars on anti-racism, and posted their support for the Black Lives Matter movement on social media.

“It’s exciting to know that these younger generations of white people care,” says Cherish Patton, a Black 18-year-old who has organized many protests in New York City.

But many Black activists who’ve been fighting racism for years wonder how lasting the soul searching will be—and what it will add up to in the end.

“I have minor trepidation, like most, that this could end up being a trend,” says Opal Tometi, who co-founded Black Lives Matter in 2013 to protest police violence against Black Americans. “When the social media posts die down, will the actions and people’s conviction for change die down too?”

Many experts say this moment of racial reckoning is also the result of a combination of major events. Part of it has been a response to the horrific nature of Floyd’s death, which was captured on a video that went viral. Frustration over the coronavirus pandemic and the economic collapse that has come with it has also played a part.

“All of that, I believe, is converging at this point to make people, white people in particular, think through America,” says Carol Anderson, a professor of African American studies at Emory University.

Indeed, as the protests spread, more and more white people joined in. One study of the demonstrations on a weekend in June found that white protesters made up more than half of those surveyed in Los Angeles, New York City, and Washington, D.C. Experts say that’s one big difference between this current racial justice movement and past ones, such as the civil rights movement of the 1950s and ’60s.

“I was shocked to see so many white kids out here,” Walter Wiggins, a Black 67-year-old, said at a protest in Washington, D.C., in June. He attended civil rights protests as a kid in the 1960s. “Back then, it was just Black folks.”

Young people also make up a large portion of those protesting.

Jacob Schechtman, a white 19-year-old, helped organize a demonstration with his classmates outside Orange High School in Pepper Pike, Ohio, in June. He says where he lives, racism and police violence “aren’t something that a lot of kids talk about.”

But Floyd’s death, and the protests that followed, made him reflect on what it means to be white in America.

“The color of my skin gives me privilege,” he says. “And that’s why I’m choosing to use it to stand up for others.”

Other white Americans say Floyd’s death has also made them think more honestly about race. Many have purchased books about racial inequality, signed up for webinars on anti-racism, and posted their support for the Black Lives Matter movement on social media.

“It’s exciting to know that these younger generations of white people care,” says Cherish Patton, a Black 18-year-old who has organized many protests in New York City.

But many Black activists who’ve been fighting racism for years question how lasting the soul searching will be. They also wonder what it will add up to in the end.

“I have minor trepidation, like most, that this could end up being a trend,” says Opal Tometi, who co-founded Black Lives Matter in 2013 to protest police violence against Black Americans. “When the social media posts die down, will the actions and people’s conviction for change die down too?”

Many protesters also point out that the movement isn’t just about symbols or slurs. They say it’s about changing entire systems that govern how Americans live.

Matthew O’Stricker, a Black 18-year-old, was the vice president of the Black student union at Woodward Academy in Atlanta as a senior last year. He says he still wants to see more “policies and legislation get passed.” But, he says, attending a protest this summer made him feel hopeful for the future.

“It felt like you were part of something bigger than yourself,” he says. “People of all ages are standing up for what they believe in.”

Many protesters also point out that the movement isn’t just about symbols or slurs. They say it’s about changing entire systems that govern how Americans live.

Matthew O’Stricker, a Black 18-year-old, was the vice president of the Black student union at Woodward Academy in Atlanta as a senior last year. He says he still wants to see more “policies and legislation get passed.” But, he says, attending a protest this summer made him feel hopeful for the future.

“It felt like you were part of something bigger than yourself,” he says. “People of all ages are standing up for what they believe in.”