Five years ago, the world watched in horror as George Floyd was killed by a police officer on a Minneapolis street. The video was gut wrenching, the outrage global, and the phrase “Black Lives Matter” exploded from hashtags to headlines to the heart of a worldwide movement.
But what happened after the signs were packed away and the crowds went home? A new BBC documentary, Backlash: The Murder of George Floyd, digs into that very question looking at how the BLM movement changed the world, or if it really changed it at all.
What is Black Lives Matter?
Though BLM became a household name in 2020, it was actually formed in 2013 by Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors and Opal Tometi after the acquittal of George Zimmerman in the killing of Trayvon Martin. Designed deliberately as a decentralised network, it aimed to end state violence against Black people by empowering local leaders across the globe not by building a single organisation.
Once the cameras showed Floyd’s final moments, millions joined protests (20–26 million just in the U.S.) and billions poured into BLM.
The UK: Some Change, But Backlash Too
The UK story is complex. According to The Guardian, racial disparities in policing have slightly improved but Black people still face disproportionately high levels of police violence, arrests and prosecution.
Education and workplace inequalities remain. And since 2020, a sharp culture clash has emerged: heated debates about DEI (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion), race riots, and political division. BLM’s momentum, once unstoppable, seems to have lost steam .
The U.S.: Shifted Attitudes, But Lives Still Unchanged?
A 2025 Pew poll found 72% of Americans believe Floyd’s death didn’t improve life for Black people, and only 11% saw better police relations. Overall BLM support dropped from 67% in 2020 to 52% today.
Post-Trump America saw roll backs on DEI initiatives and affirmative action and roughly half say they’re “exhausted” by racial discourse.
Yet a study from King’s College London suggests something shifted: BLM changed beliefs about race and led to a measurable leftward swing in voting .
So… Was BLM Ever Worth It?
BLM didn’t end racism no single movement ever could. But it did shift global conversation: tearing down statues, reshaping company policies, and getting university courses updated. Its biggest legacy might be that conversations that once existed only at the margins were brought centre stage.
The BBC doc even reminds us it wasn’t just America’s fault: UK cases like Julian Cole, Dalian Atkinson and others show the problem wasn’t uniquely U.S.
Even if the energy has quieted, the groundwork remains. As The Guardian noted, small reparatory initiatives keep going — and they matter theguardian.com.
BLM Leaders Deny Misuse of Donated Funds Amid $6M Mansion Controversy
Leaders of the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation (BLMGNF) have rejected claims of financial mismanagement after a New York Magazine report revealed the group secretly purchased a $6 million house in California with donated funds.
At a press roundtable, co-founders Patrisse Cullors and Melina Abdullah said the home was meant to serve as a creative and safe space for BLM members. Cullors said the lack of transparency was due to safety concerns following threats. She also stressed that BLM received little money before 2020 and most donations came from small donors.
The report reignited criticism over how the organisation spent the $90 million it raised in 2020. While BLM has claimed it gave millions in grants to grassroots groups and COVID-affected families, local chapters say they’ve seen little to none of the money and were excluded from key decisions.
Tensions over transparency and control within BLM are longstanding. Local organisers have repeatedly called for shared power and accountability.
Scholar Angela Davis, also present, acknowledged she wasn’t fully informed about the details but warned that such controversies often aim to discredit Black-led movements.
BLM says it is using this moment to rebuild trust through transparency and accountability.
