May 25 marked five years since the murder of George Floyd, a Yates High School alumnus, shook the world.
In the aftermath, calls for criminal justice reform were heard amid global protests. Floyd’s killer, former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, was convicted of murder and manslaughter. Entities of all kinds, including some of the globe’s largest corporations, promised all manner of investments in making sure they and the society in which they operated were more diverse, equitable and inclusive.
But a lot has changed in America’s socio-political landscape since the 2020 global call for police reform. Donald Trump, who called Black Lives Matter protesters “looters,” “thugs” and “anarchists, was re-elected president. His supporters now control the U.S. Senate, House of Representatives and Supreme Court – realities that weren’t the case in 2020.
Additionally, Republicans hold the majority of governorships across the country (27), cementing, at present, Trump’s anti-police reform stance at the federal and state levels.
That said, what is the current state of the societal changes sought and/or promised in 2020 in the realms of 1) Laws/Policies and 2) Economics/Business?
Laws/Policies
With the world on COVID lockdown, the eyes of the world witnessed Floyd’s murder multiple times via news broadcasts and social media posts.
Worldwide protests spurred legislative efforts to reform policing gained significant traction, most notably with the proposed George Floyd Justice in Policing Act at the national level and a similar “George Floyd Act” in Texas. However, as of May 2025, a comprehensive overhaul of policing practices remains elusive, facing political gridlock and varying success at the state level.
National
The federal George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, which aimed to ban chokeholds and no-knock warrants, create a national police misconduct registry, and significantly alter qualified immunity for officers, passed the House twice. Yet, it consistently stalled in the Senate, primarily due to bipartisan disagreement over qualified immunity.
While former President Biden’s 2022 executive order implemented some federal reforms, these do not apply to state and local agencies. Reports indicate the act continues to be reintroduced, but its future remains uncertain, with some states even rolling back previous reforms.
Statewide
In Texas, the 87th Legislative Session saw the proposed “George Floyd Act” by the Texas Legislative Black Caucus fall short as a complete package. Nonetheless, several key provisions found their way into law. These include Senate Bill 69, mandating officers to intervene in cases of excessive force, and Senate Bill 68, requiring officers to render aid to injured individuals. Senate Bill 66 also restricted chokeholds.
However, activist Jaison Oliver contends the “math ain’t mathing” when one reviews Houston-area statistics regarding de-escalation and mandatory officer interventions.
“Based on 2024 traffic stop data collected by the state due to the Sandra Bland Act, HPD does 4% of traffic stops in Texas,” said Oliver. “However, 20% of violent traffic stops statewide and nearly half (48%) of violent traffic stops involving Black people are conducted by HPD.
“Compare this to Dallas with 0.5% of violent traffic stops statewide and 0.8% of violent traffic stops involving Black people. If HPD is a leader in de-escalation training, as they claim, then it’s not working.”
And efforts to eliminate qualified immunity for Texas officers, a major point of contention, failed. Furthermore, some legislation, like Senate Bill 6 (the Damon Allen Act), moved in a direction contrary to the goals of many reform advocates by making it harder for certain defendants to be released on personal bonds.
The mixed outcomes highlight the ongoing challenges in enacting widespread police reform, with qualified immunity remaining a significant hurdle at both the national and state levels.
“We’ve seen progress, but it’s nowhere near enough,” said Texas State Rep. Ron Reynolds.
“There have been some legislative wins—like the limited police reforms addressing chokeholds and increased body camera use—but we are still fighting for comprehensive federal legislation like passing the George Floyd Policing Act that actually transforms policing culture and protects Black lives.”
Reynolds says every step toward meaningful criminal justice reform has been met with resistance. And though he’s encouraged to see communities mobilize and raise their voices for justice, Reynolds contends the general public cannot ignore systemic racism’s continued poisoning of the justice system.
“We’ve made some strides, yes, but we have miles to go before true justice prevails. Moreover, under the Trump administration, we have seen an anti-DEI movement by the MAGA extremists that are trying to reverse the progress we made after the death of George Floyd,” added Reynolds.
Regarding those miles still to go, State Senator Borris Miles has filed the following bills:
- SB 280 – Create civilian review boards with subpoena power to investigate police officer misconduct
- SB 281 – Requires police departments to retain the records involving allegations of official oppression
- SB 1774 – Increase penalty for acts of official oppression
- SB 2288 – Require the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement to study and report on racial profiling
- SB 2387 – Requires the Texas Department of Criminal Justice to create an independent ombudsman
“As history has shown us, the fight for police accountability is and will be an ongoing fight,” said Miles. “The community of yesterday and today must continue to vote for lawmakers who want change, speak out against injustices and fight for laws to end the practice of law enforcement murdering unarmed Black men.”
Black Lives Matter Houston, Texas (BLM/HTX) leader Secunda Joseph added: “We still have folks dying in our jails, and they want to build more jails. We need more homes, more library hours and books.”
Economics/Business
During the Summer of George Floyd’s death, corporations worldwide were quick to pledge billions towards racial equality. Yet, five years later, there’s been a mixed bag of honored commitments and broken promises.
While some companies have made demonstrable progress, many face scrutiny for falling short, with a significant portion of commitments taking the form of loans rather than direct grants.
A Washington Post analysis highlighted that over 90% of a reported $49.5 billion pledged by 50 major U.S. public companies was allocated as potentially profitable loans or investments, not direct grants to racial justice initiatives.
Companies like Apple made multi-million and multi-billion-dollar commitments in the name of Floyd. Apple dedicated $100 million to its Racial Equity and Justice Initiative.
Target pledged $2 billion to Black-owned businesses by 2025 but ended that commitment in late 2024. The “Target Fast” (i.e. boycott) led by Pastor Jamal Bryant and engaged in by thousands of people nationally has severely dented Target’s profits.
Similarly, Amazon committed $27 million to social justice organizations and PayPal pledged $530 million to support Black and minority-owned businesses. Neither made good on its promises, and each ended its DEI initiatives.
And Target, Amazon and PayPal are not alone.
Wells Fargo and Delta Air Lines have faced lawsuits alleging false claims about diversity efforts. Walmart initially pledged $100 million, but opted not to renew funding for its racial equity center and other diversity-focused programs.
This shifting landscape, coupled with a recent “retreat” from DEI initiatives due to political and legal pressures, underscores the ongoing challenge of translating corporate promises into tangible, lasting impact.
DNVIDEO: Learn about Houston policies enacted since 2020 and the status of the 2020 promises made in the realm of Entertainment/Media and Sports.
