Public support for the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement is at its lowest level since George Floyd’s death in May 2020, according to a Pew Research poll released Wednesday.
Slightly more than half of Americans, 51%, support BLM compared to 46% who oppose, the Pew Research poll shows. In the wake of George Floyd’s death, 67% supported the BLM movement and 31% opposed it, Pew’s polling from June 2020 found. (RELATED: The Left’s Mass Deception About Gender Is Completely Failing, Major New Study Reveals)
NEW: Ten years after the #BlackLivesMatter hashtag first appeared on Twitter, 51% of U.S. adults say they support the Black Lives Matter movement. 🧵 https://t.co/zqEWOxTlWm
— Pew Research Center (@pewresearch) June 14, 2023
Most Americans do not believe BLM has been effective at achieving its goals, with 32% saying it has been highly effective at bringing attention to racism. Only 14% say the movement led to increased police accountability and 8% believe it improved black people’s lives. Only 7% believe BLM activism improved race relations with 31% of respondents saying they understand the goals extremely or very well.
Favorability towards BLM varies depending on race, age and political affiliation. Eighty-one percent of black adults approve of the movement compared to 42% of white adults. Hispanic adults support BLM at a 61% clip, and 63% of Asians also approve. (RELATED: REPORT: Black Lives Matter Revenues Dropped 88% In 2022)
BLM has 64% support among adults aged 18-29 and 52% of those 30-49 years old. Less than a majority, 46%, of those aged 50-64 and 41% of adults over 65 approve.
The movement is a strong source of partisan division. Eighty-four percent of Democrats and Democratic-leaners are in favor of BLM, while 82% of Republicans and Republican-leaners are against it.
About nine in 10 Americans, 88%, have seen videos of alleged police violence towards black people on social media, and 45% believe those videos being widely shared is a good thing. Almost two thirds of Americans think the videos hold police accountable, while 54% say they make it harder for police to do their jobs.
Pew Research surveyed a nationally representative sample of 5,073 adults from April 10-16 with a 1.7% margin of error plus or minus. (RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: DOJ Plans To Commemorate George Floyd’s Death By Announcing New Law Enforcement Policy)
George Floyd’s death at the hands of Minneapolis police officers in May 2020 sparked months of protests and riots by BLM activists who called for defunding the police in urban areas. Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was sentenced in June 2021 to over 20 years in prison for murdering Floyd.