May 2020

George Floyd, 46, died after Minneapolis officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck for 9 minutes and 29 seconds during an arrest. Bystander Darnella Frazier, 17, filmed the encounter; Floyd repeatedly said 'I can't breathe.' Officers Tou Thao, J. Alexander Kueng, and Thomas Lane were also present. Chauvin was convicted of second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter in April 2021. All four officers were convicted on federal civil rights charges in 2021. Frazier received a Pulitzer Prize special citation. Floyd's killing triggered the largest protest movement in U.S. history.

Following George Floyd's killing, protests erupted in all 50 states and over 60 countries. Estimated 15–26 million Americans participated, making it potentially the largest movement in U.S. history. Protests occurred in small towns including Vidor, TX — a former 'sundown town.' Over 14,000 people were arrested in the first two weeks. Police responses included tear gas, rubber bullets, and baton charges at peaceful protesters. Minneapolis pledged to dismantle its police department; the proposal ultimately failed. The phrase 'defund the police' entered mainstream debate.

Tony McDade, a 38-year-old Black transgender man, was shot and killed by a Tallahassee police officer on May 27, 2020 — two days after George Floyd's death. McDade had allegedly stabbed a man in his apartment complex earlier that day. The officer's name was withheld under Florida law, and surveillance footage was not released. McDade's death received significantly less media attention than other killings occurring simultaneously, a disparity advocates attributed to his transgender identity. His killing was cited in calls to center Black trans lives in the Black Lives Matter movement.

A Minneapolis officer kills George Floyd on video, igniting the largest protests in US history.