2020–2021 United States racial unrest

Frequent cases of police misconduct and fatal use of force by law enforcement officers[41] in the United States, particularly against African Americans, have long led the civil rights movement and other activists to protest against the lack of police accountability in incidents involving excessive force. Many protests during the civil rights movement were a response to police brutality, including the 1965 Watts riots which resulted in the deaths of 34 people, mostly African Americans.[42] The largest post-civil rights movement protest in the 20th Century was the 1992 Los Angeles riots, which were in response to the acquittal of police officers responsible for excessive force against Rodney King, an African American man.[43]

In 2014, the shooting of Michael Brown by police in Ferguson, Missouri resulted in local protests and unrest while the death of Eric Garner in New York City resulted in numerous national protests. After Eric Garner and George Floyd repeatedly said "I can't breathe" during their arrests, the phrase became a protest slogan against police brutality. In 2015 the death of Freddie Gray in Baltimore police custody resulted in riots in the city and nationwide protests as part of the Black Lives Matter movement.[44] Several nationally publicized incidents occurred in Minnesota, including the 2015 killing of Jamar Clark in Minneapolis; the 2016 killing of Philando Castile in Falcon Heights;[45] and the 2017 killing of Justine Damond. In 2016, Tony Timpa was killed by Dallas police officers in the same way as George Floyd.[46] In March 2020, the killing of Breonna Taylor by police executing a no knock warrant at her Kentucky apartment was also widely publicized.[47] However, it was later revealed the warrant was not a no knock warrant in released police documents[48] and the reports were redacted.[49]

According to The Washington Post database of every fatal shooting by an on-duty police officer in the United States, as of August 31, 2020, 9 unarmed black people had been shot by police in 2020. As of that date the database lists four people of unknown race, 11 white people, 3 Hispanic people, and 1 person of "other" race who were shot while unarmed.[50] Black people, who account for less than 13% of the American population, are killed by police at a disproportionate rate, being killed at more than twice the rate of white people.[50]

According to a data set and analysis which was released by the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED) at the beginning of September, there were more than 10,600 demonstration events across the country between May 24 and August 22 which were associated with all causes: Black Lives Matter, counter-protests, COVID-19-pandemic-related protests, and others.[22] After Floyd's killing, Black Lives Matter related protests sharply peaked in number at the end of May, declining to dozens per week by September, and are characterized as "an overwhelmingly peaceful movement" with more than 93% of protests involving no incidents of violence nor destructive activity.[21][22] The protests that took place in 140 American cities this spring were mostly peaceful, but the arson, vandalism and looting that did occur will result in at least $1 billion to $2 billion of paid insurance claims. The unrest this year (from May 26 to June 8) will cost the insurance industry far more than any prior incidents of social unrest.[51]

According to Amnesty International's October 2020 report Losing the Peace: U.S. Police Failures to Protect Protesters from Violence, law enforcement agencies across the United States failed to protect protesters from violent armed groups. The incidents documented by Amnesty International show over a dozen protests and counter-protests erupted in violence with police either mostly, or entirely, absent from the scene.[52][53] Amnesty International USA, jointly with the Center for Civilians in Conflict, Human Rights Watch, Physicians for Human Rights, and Human Rights First, sent a letter to governors of U.S. states condemning abuses by law enforcement agencies and calling on governors to ensure the constitutional right to assemble peacefully.[54][55]

Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old emergency medical technician, was fatally shot by Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) officers Jonathan Mattingly, Brett Hankison, and Myles Cosgrove on March 13, 2020. Three plainclothes LMPD officers entered her apartment in Louisville, Kentucky, executing a search warrant. Gunfire was exchanged between Taylor's boyfriend Kenneth Walker and the officers. Walker said that he believed that the officers were intruders. The LMPD officers fired over twenty shots. Taylor was shot eight times[56] and LMPD Sergeant Jonathan Mattingly was injured by gunfire.[57] Another police officer and an LMPD lieutenant were on the scene when the warrant was executed.[58]

The primary targets of the LMPD investigation were Jamarcus Glover and Adrian Walker, who were suspected of selling controlled substances from a drug house more than 10 miles away.[59][60] According to a Taylor family attorney, Glover had dated Taylor two years before and continued to have a "passive friendship".[60] The search warrant included Taylor's residence because it was suspected that Glover received packages containing drugs at Taylor's apartment and because a car registered to Taylor had been seen parked on several occasions in front of Glover's house.[60][61][62]

Kenneth Walker, who was licensed to carry a firearm, fired first, injuring a law enforcement officer, whereupon police returned fire into the apartment with more than 20 rounds. A wrongful death lawsuit filed against the police by the Taylor family's attorney alleges that the officers, who entered Taylor's home "without knocking and without announcing themselves as police officers", opened fire "with a total disregard for the value of human life;" however, according to the police account, the officers did knock and announce themselves before forcing entry.[63][64]

As the shooting occurred during the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, at the beginning of an escalating nationwide wave of quarantines and lockdowns, the shooting initially did not receive widespread coverage or attention.[65] Taylor's death became one of the most discussed and protested events of the broader movement.

According to a police statement, on May 25, 2020, at 8:08 p.m. CDT,[66] Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) officers responded to a 9-1-1 call regarding a "forgery in progress" on Chicago Avenue South in Powderhorn, Minneapolis. MPD Officers Thomas K. Lane and J. Alexander Kueng arrived with their body cameras turned on. A store employee told officers that the man was in a nearby car. Officers approached the car and ordered George Floyd, a 46-year-old African American man, who according to police "appeared to be under the influence", to exit the vehicle, at which point he "physically resisted". According to the MPD, officers "were able to get the suspect into handcuffs, and noted he appeared to be suffering medical distress. Officers called for an ambulance." Once Floyd was handcuffed, he and Officer Lane walked to the sidewalk. Floyd sat on the ground at Officer Lane's direction. In a short conversation, the officer asked Floyd for his name and identification, explaining that he was being arrested for passing counterfeit currency, and asked if he was "on anything". According to the report officers Kueng and Lane attempted to help Floyd to their squad car, but at 8:14 p.m., Floyd stiffened up and fell to the ground. Soon, MPD Officers Derek Chauvin and Tou Thao arrived in a separate squad car. The officers made several more failed attempts to get Floyd into the squad car.[67]

Floyd, who was still handcuffed, went to the ground face down. Officer Kueng held Floyd's back and Lane held his legs. Chauvin placed his left knee in the area of Floyd's head and neck. A Facebook Live livestream recorded by a bystander showed Officer Derek Chauvin kneeling on Floyd's neck.[68][69] Floyd repeatedly tells Chauvin "Please" and "I can't breathe", while a bystander is heard telling the police officer, "You got him down. Let him breathe."[70] After some time, a bystander points out that Floyd was bleeding from his nose while another bystander tells the police that Floyd is "not even resisting arrest right now", to which the police tell the bystanders that Floyd was "talking, he's fine". A bystander replies saying Floyd "ain't fine". A bystander then protests that the police were preventing Floyd from breathing, urging them to "get him off the ground ... You could have put him in the car by now. He's not resisting arrest or nothing."[69] Floyd then goes silent and motionless. Chauvin does not remove his knee until an ambulance arrives. Emergency medical services put Floyd on a stretcher. Not only had Chauvin knelt on Floyd's neck for about seven minutes (including four minutes after Floyd stopped moving) but another video showed an additional two officers had also knelt on Floyd while another officer watched.[71][72]

Although the police report stated that medical services were requested prior to the time Floyd was placed in handcuffs,[73] according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Emergency Medical Services arrived at the scene six minutes after getting the call.[74] Medics were unable to detect a pulse, and Floyd was pronounced dead at the hospital.[75] An autopsy of Floyd was conducted on May 26, and the next day, the preliminary report by the Hennepin County Medical Examiner's Office was published, which found "no physical findings that support a diagnosis of traumatic asphyxia or strangulation". Floyd's underlying health conditions included coronary artery disease and hypertensive heart disease. The initial report said that "[t]he combined effects of Mr. Floyd being restrained by the police, his underlying health conditions and any potential intoxicants in his system likely contributed to his death."[76] The medical examiner further said that Floyd was "high on fentanyl and had recently used methamphetamine at the time of his death".[77]

On June 1, a private autopsy which was commissioned by the family of Floyd ruled that Floyd's death was a homicide and it also found that Floyd had died due to asphyxiation which resulted from sustained pressure, which conflicted with the original autopsy report which was completed earlier that week.[78] Shortly after, the official post-mortem declared Floyd's death a homicide.[79] Video footage of Officer Derek Chauvin applying 8 minutes 15 seconds of sustained pressure to Floyd's neck generated global attention and raised questions about the use of force by law enforcement.[80]

On May 26, Chauvin and the other three officers were fired.[81] He was charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter;[82] the former charge was later changed to second-degree murder.[83]

On February 23, Ahmaud Arbery was shot and killed in Brunswick, Georgia. Protests ensued in early May after a video surfaced that captured the shooting.[84]

Armed members of the Not Fucking Around Coalition (NFAC) have demonstrated in separate protests across the US, making their first appearance on May 12.[85] On July 4, 100 to 200 NFAC members marched through Stone Mountain Park near Atlanta, Georgia, calling for the removal of the Confederate monument.[86] On July 25, more than 300 members were gathered in Louisville, Kentucky, to protest the lack of action against the officers responsible for the March shooting of Breonna Taylor.[87] On October 3, over 400 members of the NFAC along with over 200 other armed protesters marched in downtown Lafayette, Louisiana.[88]

Number of Black Lives Matter-related demonstrations, May 24 – August 22, 2020, data by ACLED[89]

On March 13, Breonna Taylor was shot and killed. Demonstrations over her death began on May 26, 2020, and lasted into August.[90] One person was shot and killed during the protests.[91]

Protest erupted again on September 23, the night after the grand jury verdict was announced, protesters gathered in the Jefferson Square Park area of Louisville, as well as many other cities in the United States, including Los Angeles, Dallas, Minneapolis, New York, Chicago, Seattle.[92] In Louisville, two LMPD officers were shot during the protest and one suspect was kept in custody.[93][94]

The major catalyst of the unrest was the killing of George Floyd on May 25. Though it was not the first controversial killing of a black person in 2020,[95] it sparked a much wider series of global protests and riots which continued into August 2020.[96][97] As of June 8, there were at least 19 deaths related to the protests.[98] The George Floyd protests are generally regarded as marking the start of the 2020 United States unrest.

In Minneapolis–Saint Paul alone, the immediate aftermath of the killing of George Floyd was second-most destructive period of local unrest in United States history, after the 1992 Los Angeles riots.[99][100][101] Over a three night period, the cities experienced two deaths,[102][103] 617 arrests,[16][101] and upwards of $500 million in property damage to 1,500 locations, including 150 properties that were set on fire.[104]

On June 5, protests broke out regarding the June 2 killing of Sean Monterrosa, calling for racial justice.[105][106] These protests continued sporadically but prominently all the way into at least October, resulting in some arrests.[107][108][109][110]

Established on June 8 in Seattle, CHAZ/CHOP was a self-declared autonomous zone established in defiance of the killing of George Floyd after police abandoned the East Precinct building. Groups like the Puget Sound John Brown Gun Club provided security while the protesters themselves provided either resources or assisted the PSJBGC in security. Multiple people were killed in altercations with security[111][112] and on July 1 the autonomous zone/occupied protest was officially cleared by the Seattle Police Department.

Further unrest occurred as a result of the killing of Rayshard Brooks on June 12, largely in Atlanta, where he was killed.[113] An 8-year-old girl was shot and killed during the protests.[114]

Local protests emerged in response to the killing of Guardado on June 18 and involved protesters and media reporters being tear gassed and shot by rubber bullets at the sheriff's station in Compton.[115][116] The incident was widely reported as the second police killing involving the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department deputies within two days of one another, the other being Terron Jammal Boone, who was identified as the half-brother of 24-year-old Robert Fuller.[117][118][119]

In Colorado Springs, a mixture of armed and unarmed left-wing protesters gathered to mark the one year anniversary of the shooting of De'Von Bailey, protesting in the neighborhood of the officer who shot and killed him. After threats of an armed counterprotest, protesters showed up armed. The protest was largely peaceful, except for multiple cases of heated shouting matches between protesters and residents.[120] Later, on September 11, three people who attended the protest were arrested for various charges in a series of raids.[121]

In Stone Mountain, armed Neo-Confederate demonstrators affiliated with the Three Percenters arrived to allegedly protect the Confederate monument, with their operation dubbed "Defend Stone Mountain". They were met with a larger group of armed left-wing counter-protesters, who began pushing them out of the town before the DeKalb County Police Department dispersed both parties.[122] Several minor injuries were reported.

The Downtown Portland "Back the Blue" Rally, organized by members of the Proud Boys and QAnon Movement, sparked violence between right-wing protesters and left-wing counter-protesters. Within an hour of meeting, both sides began pushing, punching, paint-balling, and macing each other. There was one incident in which a right-wing Proud Boys protester pointed a gun at left-wing protesters, with no shots fired.[123][124]

The shooting of Jacob Blake on August 23 sparked protests in a number of American cities, mostly within Kenosha.[125] Two protesters were shot and killed in an incident during the protests.[126] Nationally, athletes from the NHL, NBA, WNBA, MLB, and MLS began going on strike in response to the police shooting of Jacob Blake.[127] On October 14, prosecutors announced that Kyle Rittenhouse, who was charged with killing the two protesters, would not face gun charges in Illinois.[128]

Riot police in downtown Minneapolis, where rioting and looting took place on August 26

A riot occurred in downtown Minneapolis in reaction to false rumors about the suicide of Eddie Sole Jr., a 38-year-old African American man; demonstrators believed he had been shot by police officers.[129] Surveillance video showed that Sole Jr. shot himself in the head during a manhunt for a homicide suspect in which he was the person of interest.[130] Controversially, the police released the CCTV camera footage of the suicide in attempts to stop the unrest.[131] Overnight vandalism and looting of stores from August 26 to 27 reached a total of 76 property locations in Minneapolis–Saint Paul, including four businesses that were set on fire.[132] State and local officials arrested a total of 132 people during the unrest.[133]

On August 29, a large group of pro-Trump counterprotesters, arrived in downtown Portland by a vehicle convoy. They were met with opposition from the protesters, resulting in multiple instances of physical clashes.[134] 1 counterprotester was shot and killed in an incident during the protest.[135]

Dijon Kizzee, an armed cyclist, was shot and killed in the unincorporated Los Angeles neighborhood of Westmont on Aug 31 by deputies of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. For days, protesters gathered outside the heavily guarded South Los Angeles sheriff's station in tense but peaceful demonstrations. By September 6, those demonstrations escalated to clashes, with deputies firing projectiles and tear gas at the crowds and arresting 35 people over four nights of unrest.[136][137]

On March 22, Daniel Prude was killed by Rochester, New York police officers in what was found by the county medical examiner to be a homicide caused through "complications of asphyxia in the setting of physical restraint".[138][139] On September 2, the release of a police body camera video and written reports surrounding his death provoked protests in Rochester.

On September 2, Deon Kay, an 18-year-old man, was shot and killed by a police officer in Washington, D.C. Later that day, protesters started gathering outside of the Seventh District Metropolitan Police Department building.[140]

On September 13, Protests erupted in Lancaster, Pennsylvania after a police officer shot and killed Ricardo Munoz who allegedly ran at them with a knife. Police later deployed tear gas on a crowd of protesters, saying demonstrators had damaged buildings and government vehicles and thrown bottles.[141]

On September 30, Police arrested 25-year-old Deja Stallings at gas station and convenience store in Kansas City, Missouri in relation to an alleged 15–20 individuals fighting on the business's property. Video footage showed an officer kneeling on the back of Stallings, who is nine months pregnant. In response to the video, demonstrators began protesting outside city hall demanding the resignation of Kansas City Police Department Chief Richard Smith and for the city to redirect 50% of the police department's budget to social services.[142]

On October 5, 31-year old Jonathan Price was killed by a police officer in Wolfe City, Texas after allegedly trying to break off a fight.[143][144] Protests broke out in major cities to which New York City and Los Angeles faced property damage after night of vandalism.[145][146] Shaun David Lucas, a police officer who shot Price, was arrested and charged with murder.[147]

On the afternoon of October 7, the district attorney in Milwaukee County decided to not press charges in relation to the fatal shooting of Alvin Cole, 17 in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin back in February.[148] Protests subsequently occurred since October 7, leading to the arrest of 24 protesters on October 8[149] and 28 protesters on October 9.[150]

On October 22, 19-year old Marcellis Stinnette was shot and killed by an officer in Waukegan, Illinois. His girlfriend, 20-year old Tafarra Williams was also wounded, but is expected to survive.[151] Protests occurred in Waukegan on October 22. The family of Jacob Blake, who was shot 16 miles north of Waukegan in Kenosha, Wisconsin, were also in attendance.[152]

On October 26 Walter Wallace Jr. was killed by Philadelphia police officers while holding a knife and ignoring orders to drop it. A march for Wallace occurred in West Philadelphia, while other areas of the city reported looting and vandalism.[153] Police also said 30 officers were injured, many struck by bricks and other debris and that 91 protesters were arrested.[154]

On October 29, Kevin Peterson Jr. was shot and killed by three Clark County sheriff's deputies in Hazel Dell, Washington, near Vancouver.[155] Hundreds gathered in Hazel Dell for a vigil the following evening with protesters carrying signs saying “Honk for Black lives. White silence is violence” and “Scream his name,” and confronting right-wing counter-protesters. That night, hundreds of protesters marched through Downtown Vancouver, resulting in property damage and a confrontation with federal agents. At least one person was arrested after the protest was declared an unlawful assembly and a dispersal order was issued by police.[156]

On November 23, protesters gathered outside Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti's home due to his refusal to further defund the LAPD. Protests increased when news was released regarding president-elect Joe Biden's consideration of adding Garcetti to his cabinet.[157]

Perimeter barricades erected by protesters during the Red House eviction defense in Portland, Oregon on December 8

On December 8, protesters in Portland gathered to blockade parts of the Humboldt Neighborhood in order to protect a family who had been evicted after living in said house for 65 years. Protesters blockaded the area similar to the Capitol Hill Occupied Protest.[158]

On December 4, Casey Goodson was killed by police in Columbus, Ohio, in front of his house. Goodson was killed by a member of a fugitive task force, but Columbus Police have stated that he was not the man the task force was looking for. Protests were held on December 11 and December 12.[159]

On December 11, Bennie Edwards, a schizophrenic homeless man, was killed by Oklahoma City police while wielding a knife. Demonstrations were held later that evening.[160]

On December 22, Andre Hill (also identified as Andre' Hill) was killed by a Columbus Police officer as he left a house where he was a guest. On Christmas Eve, protests were held in response to the shooting. The shooting was the second police killing in Columbus in the month, following the shooting of Casey Goodson.[161]

On December 30, Dolal Idd, a 23-year old Somali-American man, was shot and killed by Minneapolis police officers during a felony traffic stop.[162] Idd's death was the first killing by a Minneapolis police since George Floyd on May 25.[163]

About 200 protesters marched in Rochester, New York, on February 1 after a nine-year-old girl was handcuffed and pepper-sprayed by police.[164] Community outrage swelled following release of footage the previous day showing officers restraining and scolding a girl, who was screaming for her father. At one point, an officer is heard telling her to "stop acting like a child," to which she cried, "I am a child."[164] Protesters ripped away barricades protecting a Rochester police precinct as hundreds took to the streets in outrage.[165]

Unlike recent racial protests in the United States before it, the 2020 protests frequently included the slogan "defund the police", representing a call for divestment in policing.[166] The degree of divestment advocated varied, with some protesters calling for elimination of police departments, and others for reduced budgets. Supporters of partial or complete defunding of the police argued that budgets should be directed instead towards community-driven police alternatives, investment in mental health and substance abuse treatment services, job-training programs, or other forms of investment into black urban communities. In June 2020, New York City mayor Bill De Blasio responded to calls for divestment by cutting $1B of the New York City Police Department (NYPD)'s $6B budget and directing it instead to city youth groups and social services, a reduction of 17%.[167] The cut mostly involved shifting some responsibilities to other city agencies, with the size of the force barely changing.[168]

The city council in Minneapolis voted in June to "end policing as we know it" and replace it with a "holistic" approach to public safety, but by September 2020, the pledge collapsed without implementation.[169][170] An increasing number of community groups had opposed the pledge, a poll from the Minneapolis Star-Tribune showed that a plurality of residents, including 50% of black people, opposed decreasing the size of the police force, and city councilors cited alarm from business owners and residents in more affluent areas of their wards who feared for their safety, as beliefs anticipating an immediate end to the police department proliferated.[170] Incremental reforms of a type that the city's progressive politicians had denounced were pursued in lieu of the pledge.[170] The Black Visions Collective, an activist group seeking police abolition, called past reforms "weak" and stated, "It is the nature of white supremacy, capitalism, patriarchy or any of these other systems of oppression to want to do what is necessary to save themselves" and "To adapt. To mutate. To move. To slow progress."[170]

Nationwide, defunding the police has not received broad support from congressional Democrats,[170] former Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, or 2020 Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden; both Sanders and Biden support reform instead.[171][172] Defunding the police was heavily criticized by President Donald Trump.[170]

Members of the American Indian Movement tore down the statue of Christopher Columbus outside the Minnesota State Capitol in June 2020 during the George Floyd protests

Protesters have called for the removal of statues commemorating historical figures who are perceived as racist by modern standards. Often those depicted in the statues were responsible for human rights violations.[173] A number were either removed by authorities, or vandalized and toppled by protesters.[174] In particular, the statues of Confederate war veterans and politicians as well as of Christopher Columbus. Statues of United States presidents, including the Emancipation Memorial featuring Abraham Lincoln, have also been vandalized and attacked by protesters.[175]

Related racial unrest in the Netherlands included widespread participation in George Floyd protests. The unrest has led to a change in public opinion on Zwarte Piet, a character used in Dutch Sinterklaas celebrations who has been historically portrayed in blackface. Leaving the appearance of Zwarte Piet unaltered has traditionally been supported by the public but opposed by anti-racism campaigners, but a June 2020 survey saw a drop in support for leaving the character's appearance unaltered: 47 per cent of those surveyed supported the traditional appearance, compared to 71 per cent in a similar survey held in November 2019.[177] Prime minister Mark Rutte stated in a parliamentary debate on June 5, 2020 that he had changed his opinion on the issue and now has more understanding for people who consider the character's appearance to be racist.[178]

The 2020–2021 United States racial unrest has triggered protests, political gestures and policy changes in the United Kingdom, both in solidarity with the United States and in comparable protest against racism in the United Kingdom.[179] The debate over statues of certain historical figures has been a significant feature of the unrest in Britain, following the unauthorized removal of the statue of Edward Colston in Bristol on June 11 during a protest in the city.[180][181][182][183] The Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden wrote a three-page letter to MPs, peers and councillors arguing against the removal of statues.[184] Prime Minister Boris Johnson condemned protesters who defaced the statue of Winston Churchill in Parliament Square in London,[185][186] and several statues were subsequently covered up as a precaution.[187]

By mid-June, after weeks of protests during the global COVID-19 pandemic and recession, American national culture and attitude towards racial injustice began to shift, including the Senate Armed Services Committee's approval of process to rename military facilities named for Confederate generals.[35] American public opinion of racism and discrimination shifted in the wake of these protests. Polling of white Americans showed an increased belief in having received advantages due to their race and increased belief that black Americans received disproportionate force in policing.[38] Public opinion in support of the Black Lives Matter movement greatly increased,[192][193] with a surge of "am I racist" searches[194] and a greater approval for removing Confederate statues and memorials.[195] However, support for the Black Lives Matter movement declined by August and September 2020.[196][197][198]

The increased approval of racial justice reform may have been influenced by opposition towards President Donald Trump's support for police, greater understanding of disparate pandemic effects by race,[35] and a weakened sense of security following the COVID-19 pandemic's social distancing and an economic fallout with the COVID-19 recession.[191] Others had grown accustomed to protest under Trump or were responding to his racial views, agitation and "demagoguery" or handling of the pandemic.[37] Some white Americans reported feeling more social permission from other white people to support Black Lives Matter whereas it would have felt conspicuous prior.[37]

Mississippi retired its prior state flag (left)–which featured a Confederate battle flag in its canton–and adopted a new flag (right) in 2020.

Faced with civil unrest, politicians fulfilled promises to remove Confederate symbols.[199] Activism spread to other Confederate symbols, especially the modern display of the Confederate battle flag. NASCAR banned its display, and organizations including Walmart and the NCAA announced that they would no longer fly the Mississippi flag, the last state flag to include the symbol. The state also voted to retire the flag.[200] The removal of symbols caused national debate over the appropriateness of statues of figures tied to racial injustice.[201]

Public backlash widened to other institutional symbols, including place names, namesakes, brands and resignations. Examples include Rhode Island removing "Providence Plantations" from the state's formal name,[202] plans to remove the Native American below a sword from the Massachusetts state flag and seal,[203] Princeton University renaming its Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, [199][202] household products such as Aunt Jemima syrup, Uncle Ben's rice and Cream of Wheat pledging to review racial stereotypes in their marketing,[204] music groups including the Dixie Chicks and Lady Antebellum changing their names to remove references to the Southern United States,[205] and the Washington Redskins pledging to change its name following pressure from business sponsors and a 12-year advocacy campaign.[206][39] Some firms in the music industry also phased out the term "urban music"[207] and a social media debate considered whether the United States should change its national anthem based on a verse that some historians interpret as supporting violence against slaves.[208] Companies that had donated to Black Lives Matter causes without addressing internal diversity issues were criticized on social media. Leaders in the media and entertainment industries were also criticized over their handling of racial issues, as were other celebrities and actors.[209] Debates continued across corporate leadership, media organizations and other cultural institutions. Researchers also went on strike in support of the movement.[192]

Public conversations on race and power extended to other cultural practices. One debate addressed racial vocabulary. Hundreds of news organizations modified their style guides to capitalize "Black" as a proper noun in recognition of the term's shared political identity and experiences.[210][211] Merriam-Webster modified its definition of racism.[192] GitHub reconsidered and replaced words and phrases with similarities to discriminatory terms such as "master bedroom" and "whitelist"/"blacklist", which also encompassed "master/slave" distinctions in technology and also situations which refer to the master as the opposite of a copy.[212] Real estate and technology organizations announced they would use more inclusive alternatives.[213] Journalists at major American newspapers contested their own coverage of the events.[214][215][216] In the music industry, the BMG Rights Management announced it would reevaluate its record deals for race-based compensation disparities.[217] Major record labels began searches for diversity officers and the Black Music Action Coalition formed to address industry racial inequities.[207] The major sports channel ESPN began to air political commentary, reversing a longstanding mandate to separate sports from politics.[218] College athletes led boycotts[219] and a wildcat strike during the NBA playoff led to a work stoppage from other American professional athletes following the August shooting of Jacob Blake.[220][221][222]

Boarded-up storefronts at New York City's Saks Fifth Avenue during the George Floyd protests

Anti-racist self-education became a trend throughout June 2020 in the United States and black anti-racist writers found new audiences. During the Floyd protests, black-owned bookstores saw an influx of interest, especially for books on social justice topics. In the span of two weeks from early to late June, books about race went from composing none to two-thirds of The New York Times Best Seller list. Amazon sales saw a similar pattern. In comparison, no such surge happened after prior prominent Black Lives Matter demonstrations. Popular black authors included Ibram X. Kendi (How to Be an Antiracist, Stamped from the Beginning), Ijeoma Oluo (So You Want to Talk About Race) and Layla Saad (Me and White Supremacy). Bestsellers also include black biographies and memoirs (Becoming, Born a Crime, Between the World and Me, Just Mercy), anti-racist books by white authors (White Fragility, The Color of Law) and older books (The New Jim Crow, The Fire Next Time). Online library checkouts of anti-racist literature increased tenfold by mid-June. Some municipal libraries saw waitlists in the thousands per title. Amazon's tracking of daily e-book readers and audiobook listeners reflected the increased readership, when many of the aforementioned books entered its most-read list.[223]

American consumers sought out black-owned businesses to support. June saw record high Google searches for "Black-owned businesses near me" and smartphone restaurant discovery apps added features for discovering black-owned restaurants. Businesses on social media lists saw significantly increased sales. Black-owned bookstores in particular had difficulty meeting demand.[224][225][226][227] There was also a social media and Facebook boycott on self-education.[228]

Many major American corporations pursued anti-racism and diversity training workshops, particularly companies seeking to be consistent with their Black Lives Matter messaging. Demand for these trainings had grown over time, especially since 2016, interest in diversity training bookings spiked during this period of reckoning. Robin DiAngelo, whose White Fragility topped the Amazon bestsellers list, rose to prominence during this time and was a popular speaker.[229]

The recent scrutiny on race relations in the United States brought comparisons to the Weinstein effect in which the Me Too movement put pressure on public figures for legacies of sexual assault, harassment, and systemic sexism.[36][209][230] Similarly, the American public under its racial injustice reckoning pressured American industries to confront legacies of racism.[230] The resulting symbolic divestments targeted white cultural hegemony.[35] NPR wrote that renamed landmarks and similar gestures would not provide economic opportunities or civil rights, but signaled cultural disapproval towards symbols associated with racial injustice, including the history of racism and slavery.[35] The New Yorker compared the dispersed national response to an "American Spring" on par with the Arab Spring and other international revolutionary waves.[36] Global protests also focused on symbols of racial injustice, with The New Yorker also having a part on international solidarity towards police violence.[36]

The unrest precipitated an unprecedented number of firearm sales in the United States[231] Background checks for legally purchased firearms reached record highs starting in May,[232] with year-on-year numbers up 80.2%[233][234][235][236] and running through the rest of the summer.[237] This represented the highest monthly number of firearms transfers since the FBI began keeping records in 1998.[238]

In May 2020, firearms retailers surveyed by the National Shooting Sports Foundation estimated that 40% of their sales came from first-time gun buyers, 40% of those first-time gun buyers were women. Gun sales have been up across the country, a rise in first-time gun buyers in liberal-leaning states like California have helped fuel the national uptick in firearms and ammunition purchases.[239][240][241] June 2020 represented the largest month of firearms purchases in United States history, with Illinois purchasing more firearms than any other state.[242]

The last days of May and first week of June 2020, there were more than 90 attempted or successful burglaries of gun stores, according to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATF). More than 1,000 guns were stolen in that window of time. On May 31 alone, the BATF reported 29 separate burglaries targeting licensed firearm retailers.[243][244]