Say Something Real
By Michelle Bryant
Michelle Bryant
It has now been five years since the murder of George Floyd on May 25, 2020, a tragedy that became a catalyst for urgent conversations and action on race, justice, and equality in the United States and across the globe. The haunting image of Floyd’s final moments, with officer Derek Chauvin’s knee pressed to his neck, galvanized millions into the streets, sparking a movement that demanded change in policing, racial equity, and the fabric of American society.
In the wake of Floyd’s death, there was an intense resolve to do better. Corporations, schools, and governments pledged to address systemic inequality and build more inclusive organizations. Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) have become watchwords, and initiatives have sprouted nationwide. Yet, as quickly as the movement gained momentum, a backlash began to take root. Chris Rufo, a conservative activist and filmmaker affiliated with the Manhattan Institute, emerged as a leading figure in the campaign against diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, using his platform to frame DEI as divisive and ideologically driven.
In a 2024 article, the ACLU’s Leah Watson wrote: “Leveraging Fox News and other mainstream media outlets, Rufo and his supporters sought to manufacture hysteria around the inclusion of critical race theory in schools and workplaces. After a 2020 appearance on Fox News where Rufo misrepresented the nature of federal trainings on oppression, white privilege, and intersectionality as indoctrination of critical race theory in our public spaces, Rufo convinced former President Trump to end federal DEI training. Rufo’s goal was to limit discourse, instruction, and research that refuted the false assertion that racism is not real in America – and he succeeded.” In fact, his efforts have significantly shaped the national conversation, and his activism has directly fueled legislative rollbacks, corporate kowtowing, and sparked wide debate of DEI programs. He represented a direct affront to the systemic and structural racism, bias, and marginalization experienced by people of color and which killed George Floyd.
Another conservative commentator, Charlie Kirk, who shared the same birthday as George Floyd, October 14, publicly dismissed Floyd’s legacy. Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA, described Floyd’s death with skepticism and disdain. He challenged Floyd’s status as a symbol of social change and characterized him in ways that diminished the broader context of his killing. The contrast between their lives, and now both of their deaths, speaks to the rift in American discourse—one that is not just political, but deeply personal.
For African-Americans, the lessons of George Floyd’s death extended beyond protest and reform. It has been a clarion call to vigilance. We must not cede ground when it comes to gaining access to institutions from which we were long excluded, whether in education, employment, or civic life. Every gain made, every open door, every academic endeavor, every leadership position, must be fiercely protected and furthered. Our collective history, too, is not up for reinterpretation by a single administration, fleeting political ideology, or intentionally misleading group of activists. The narrative of Black people in this country is rich, complex, and hard-won; it demands guardianship and truth-telling.
It is up to us to preserve our legacy, to teach our children the realities of our experience, and to ensure that the lessons of George Floyd’s death are not lost or rewritten by those who would diminish him, and by extension, all Black people. His death was not in vain. We are the stewards of his story and our own. We must insist on our place at every table, in every textbook, and within every conversation that shapes the future of this country.