Six years ago, the world watched in horror as a white Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee into George Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes, killing him in broad daylight while bystanders begged for mercy.
Floyd’s death sparked a global reckoning on race, policing, and justice. Streets filled with protesters, communities organized, corporations issued promises, and many Americans believed the country had finally reached a turning point.
But in 2026, as voter redistricting battles spread across the country ahead of another pivotal election cycle, many civil rights leaders are questioning whether the urgency that followed Floyd’s murder has faded into political memory.
Atlanta Black Star spoke with activists, attorneys, and movement leaders who say the fight for racial justice never stopped, even if much of the country moved on.
America Is Still Living Through a Modern Civil Rights Era
Attorney Gerald A. Griggs, chairman of the board for the Georgia NAACP, said Americans have become dangerously comfortable believing progress automatically continues without sustained pressure…