The fifth anniversary of George Floyd’s death is approaching, a time that many remember as a “racial reckoning” that heightened the world’s attention on police brutality and its deadly impact on Black people.

Activists, leaders and community members believed five years ago that the country would point to this moment as the one that brought lasting change toward racial equity. Now, the majority of Americans say that moment has passed with its promise unfulfilled.

In a study published on May 7, the Pew Research Center found that in 2020, 52 percent of U.S. adults believed that an increased focus on racial issues across the country would lead to significant change in the years to come. In 2025, 72 percent of U.S. adults said that the focus on racial inequality did not lead to any changes that helped the Black community.

Furthermore, in 2025, 67 percent of Black Americans said they felt doubtful the United States would ever achieve racial equality; 65 percent felt similarly in 2020.

The 19th spoke with Black activists reflecting on racial justice progress, discussing the country’s progress toward equality since Floyd’s death and how they envision a more inclusive future.

‘You Have to Do Things to Actually Show How You Feel’: Reflecting on Racial Justice Progress

Alaunna Thompson was attending a predominantly White high school in Montville, N.J., when Floyd died. His murder was a call for her to organize a protest in her local community, she said, describing her ongoing struggles with racism in school as the driver that pushed her to use her voice.

Protestors gathered at Mackay Park in Englewood, N.J., to demand justice after Floyd’s death. Following a route that led them around the city, participants stopped to deliver passionate speeches and craft signs that they would carry while organizing. Parents, teachers, students and Englewood residents all came out to support.

“It was a mix of us feeling some way about our school and on top of that, hearing all this stuff [about] Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd. It was back to back to back.”

Read the full article about reflecting on racial justice progress by Alexis Wray, Eden Turner, and Sabreen Dawud at The 19th.