2021

Georgia Governor Brian Kemp signed Senate Bill 202 on March 25, 2021, enacting the most sweeping changes to Georgia's election law in decades. Key provisions: criminalized giving food or water to voters waiting in long lines (lines disproportionately longer in Black-majority precincts); cut drop boxes from 94 to 23 statewide; limited weekend early voting hours, directly restricting 'Souls to the Polls' Sunday voting prominent in Black churches; added ID requirements for absentee ballots; empowered the legislature to appoint the State Election Board chair, removing the Secretary of State. The DOJ sued, arguing intentional discrimination against Black voters.

In Brnovich v. Democratic National Committee, decided July 1, 2021, the Supreme Court (6-3) upheld two Arizona voting restrictions: a law discarding ballots cast in wrong precincts, and a ban on third-party ballot collection (so-called 'ballot harvesting'). Justice Alito's majority opinion introduced new, non-statutory factors courts should weigh under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, including the 'mere inconvenience' of voting requirements, making future challenges harder. Justice Kagan's dissent said the Court had 'damaged a statute designed to bring about the end of racially discriminatory voting.' The ruling was the most significant weakening of Section 2 since Shelby County v. Holder (2013).

Qualified immunity, a judicially created doctrine protecting government officials from civil rights suits, was granted by courts in over 50% of cases. The doctrine was invented by the Supreme Court without basis in the text of 42 U.S.C. Section 1983. Justice Clarence Thomas wrote separately in 2020 calling for reconsideration. Congress blocked legislative fixes; the Supreme Court refused cert on multiple cases seeking to revisit the doctrine.

Beginning in 2021, over 40 states introduced legislation restricting how race and racism could be taught in K-12 schools and universities. By 2023, at least 18 states had enacted such laws. Florida's Stop WOKE Act (signed April 2022) prohibited teaching that anyone is 'inherently racist, sexist, or oppressive' by virtue of race. Tennessee, Texas, Idaho, and others banned teaching that the U.S. is 'fundamentally racist.' Teachers reported self-censoring; librarians removed books; teachers faced firing for discussing slavery in unapproved ways. The laws frequently cited 'critical race theory' — an academic legal framework not taught in K-12 schools — as a threat.

Qualified immunity, a judicially created doctrine protecting government officials from civil rights suits unless they violated 'clearly established law,' continued to shield police officers from accountability. Studies showed courts granted qualified immunity in over 50% of cases. The doctrine was invented by the Supreme Court in Pierson v. Ray (1967) and expanded in Harlow v. Fitzgerald (1982) without basis in the text of 42 U.S.C. § 1983. Justice Clarence Thomas wrote separately in 2020 calling for the doctrine to be reconsidered. Congress blocked legislative fixes; the Supreme Court refused cert on multiple cases seeking to reconsider the doctrine.

On January 5, 2021, Raphael Warnock won the Georgia U.S. Senate runoff election, becoming the first Black Senator elected from Georgia. The pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church, where Martin Luther King Jr. preached, Warnock won alongside Jon Ossoff, flipping the Senate to Democratic control. Warnock's win was attributed to years of voter registration and organizing by Stacey Abrams' Fair Fight Action and the New Georgia Project.

Kamala Harris was inaugurated as the 49th Vice President of the United States on January 20, 2021, becoming the first woman, first Black American, and first person of South Asian descent to hold the office. Harris had previously served as California Attorney General and U.S. Senator. Her election was seen as a historic milestone and the result of decades of Black women's organizing and political work. Harris's candidacy faced racist and sexist attacks including questions about her eligibility that echoed birtherism targeting Barack Obama.

Kamala Harris was inaugurated as the 49th Vice President on January 20, 2021, becoming the first woman, first Black American, and first person of South Asian descent to hold the office. Harris's candidacy faced racist and sexist attacks including questions about her eligibility that echoed birtherism targeting Barack Obama.

The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, which would have banned chokeholds and no-knock warrants at the federal level, ended qualified immunity for officers, established a national police misconduct registry, and required body cameras, passed the House on March 3, 2021 with a 220-212 vote. Senate negotiations led by Cory Booker and Tim Scott collapsed in September 2021, primarily over the qualified immunity issue. No federal police reform legislation was enacted. The failure represented a significant setback for reform advocates who had hoped the 2020 protest movement's scale would produce legislative change.

The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, which would have banned chokeholds and no-knock warrants at the federal level, ended qualified immunity, and established a national police misconduct registry, passed the House 220-212. Senate negotiations collapsed in September 2021 over the qualified immunity issue. No federal police reform legislation was enacted despite the largest protest movement in American history in 2020.

The centennial of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, in which the Greenwood District ('Black Wall Street') was destroyed by a white mob and city officials, brought renewed national attention. President Biden visited Tulsa. Three survivors — Lessie Benningfield Randle (107), Hughes Van Ellis (102), and Viola Fletcher (107) — testified before Congress seeking reparations. A 2020 Tulsa Race Massacre Commission report recommended direct payments to survivors and descendants. Oklahoma courts dismissed a reparations lawsuit in 2023; an appeal was pending. The centennial represented both continued community memory and continued denial of redress.

The centennial of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre brought renewed national attention. President Biden visited Tulsa. Three survivors — Lessie Benningfield Randle, Hughes Van Ellis, and Viola Fletcher — testified before Congress seeking reparations. A 2020 commission report recommended direct payments to survivors and descendants. Oklahoma courts dismissed a reparations lawsuit in 2023.

Derek Chauvin was sentenced to 22 years and 6 months in prison on June 25, 2021, for the second-degree murder of George Floyd — the longest sentence ever given to a Minnesota police officer for an on-duty act. Judge Peter Cahill sentenced above the state guidelines of 12.5 years, citing aggravating factors including Floyd's vulnerability. Chauvin later pleaded guilty to federal civil rights charges and was sentenced to an additional 21 years to run concurrently. The sentence was historic, though many advocates noted it would not be enough on its own to transform policing systems. Floyd's brother Philonise said 'I'm satisfied but not fully satisfied.'

Derek Chauvin was sentenced to 22 years and 6 months in prison — the longest sentence ever given to a Minnesota police officer for an on-duty act. Chauvin later pleaded guilty to federal civil rights charges and received an additional 21 years to run concurrently. Floyd's brother Philonise said 'I'm satisfied but not fully satisfied.'

Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed Senate Bill 1 on September 7, 2021, enacting sweeping voting restrictions including: banning 24-hour voting and drive-through voting (both used in Harris County, which has a large Black and Latino population); prohibiting distribution of unsolicited mail ballot applications; empowering partisan poll watchers; making it harder to assist voters with limited English; and adding ID requirements for mail ballots. Democrats twice fled the state to deny quorum and block the bill. After the third special session, it passed. Federal suits argued the provisions disproportionately impacted Black and Latino voters.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed Senate Bill 1, enacting sweeping voting restrictions including: banning 24-hour voting and drive-through voting used in majority-Black and Latino Harris County; prohibiting distribution of unsolicited mail ballot applications; adding ID requirements for mail ballots. Democrats twice fled the state to deny quorum and block the bill before it passed in a third special session.

Bipartisan negotiations on the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act collapsed in September 2021 after months of talks between Senators Cory Booker, Karen Bass, and Tim Scott. The central sticking point was qualified immunity — the doctrine that shields officers from civil rights suits. Republicans refused to eliminate it; Democrats refused to retain it. No federal police reform legislation has been enacted as of 2024, despite the largest protest movement in American history in 2020. Over 200 pieces of state legislation passed in the year after Floyd's death, with varied impact. The federal failure left policing reform to fragmented state and local action.

Texas adopted new congressional and legislative district maps in October 2021 following the 2020 census, which showed the state's population growth was driven almost entirely by Black, Latino, and Asian residents. Despite this, the maps reduced the number of districts where minority voters could elect their preferred candidates. The DOJ sued Texas in December 2021 arguing the maps violated Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act.

Texas adopted new congressional and legislative district maps in October 2021 following the 2020 census, which showed the state's population growth was driven almost entirely by Black, Latino, and Asian residents. Despite this, the maps reduced the number of districts where minority voters could elect their preferred candidates. The DOJ sued Texas in December 2021, arguing the maps violated Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. Federal courts found the maps likely violated the VRA; the cases proceeded through appeals. Texas's redistricting drew comparisons to its post-Civil Rights Act history of repeated racially gerrymandered maps struck down by courts.

On December 23, 2021, all four officers present at George Floyd's death — Derek Chauvin, Tou Thao, J. Alexander Kueng, and Thomas Lane — were convicted on federal civil rights charges. Thao and Kueng were convicted of failing to intervene; Lane pleaded guilty beforehand. The federal convictions carried mandatory sentences and could not be affected by state-level gubernatorial pardons.

On December 23, 2021, all four officers present at George Floyd's death — Derek Chauvin, Tou Thao, J. Alexander Kueng, and Thomas Lane — were convicted on federal civil rights charges. A federal jury found Chauvin guilty of depriving Floyd of his constitutional right to be free from unreasonable seizure. Thao and Kueng were convicted of failing to intervene. Lane pleaded guilty beforehand. The federal convictions were significant because they carried mandatory sentences and could not be affected by state-level gubernatorial pardons. The case represented one of the most comprehensive federal prosecutions of police officers for a single killing.

On March 16, 2021, Robert Aaron Long shot and killed eight people at three Atlanta-area spas, six of whom were Asian women. The attack occurred amid a documented surge in anti-Asian hate crimes during the COVID-19 pandemic, when Trump's rhetoric about the 'China virus' had been linked to targeting of Asian Americans. The Atlanta killings prompted discussions of solidarity between Black and Asian communities, two groups that had experienced tension but shared experiences of racism and targeted violence. Activists noted that police initially downplayed the racial motivation. The incident prompted the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act (signed May 2021).

Robert Aaron Long shot and killed eight people at three Atlanta-area spas on March 16, 2021, six of whom were Asian women. The attack occurred amid a documented surge in anti-Asian hate crimes linked to COVID-19 rhetoric. The killings prompted discussions of solidarity between Black and Asian communities and led to the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act signed May 2021.

On March 22, 2021, Evanston, IL became the first U.S. city to implement a local reparations program, approving $400,000 in home repair grants and down payment assistance for Black residents who lived in Evanston between 1919 and 1969, or their direct descendants, harmed by the city's discriminatory housing policies. The program was funded partly by a local marijuana tax.

On March 22, 2021, Evanston, IL became the first U.S. city to implement a local reparations program, approving $400,000 in home repair grants and down payment assistance for Black residents who lived in Evanston between 1919 and 1969, or their direct descendants, and were harmed by the city's discriminatory housing policies. The program, funded partly by a local marijuana tax, aimed to address documented redlining and urban renewal policies that displaced Black residents. By 2023, California established the first state reparations task force; it recommended payments of over $1.2 million per eligible Black Californian, though the legislature had not passed payments.

Adam Toledo, a 13-year-old Latino boy, was shot and killed by Chicago officer Eric Stillman on March 29, 2021, in the Little Village neighborhood. Body camera footage released in April 2021 showed Toledo appeared to have his empty hands raised when shot. Stillman was not charged. Though Toledo was Latino, his killing intersected with Black Lives Matter protest movements and renewed scrutiny of Chicago Police Department patterns documented in the DOJ's 2017 consent decree finding racist patterns in CPD's use of force against Black and Latino residents.

Daunte Wright, 20, was shot and killed by Brooklyn Center, MN officer Kim Potter during a traffic stop on April 11, 2021, while the Derek Chauvin trial was ongoing nearby. Potter, a 26-year veteran, said she confused her handgun with her Taser. Wright was shot once and died at the scene. Potter resigned and was convicted of first- and second-degree manslaughter in December 2021, sentenced to two years — a sentence many advocates called inadequate. Brooklyn Center erupted in protests, with police responding with tear gas nightly.

Ma'Khia Bryant, a 16-year-old Black girl in foster care, was shot and killed by Columbus officer Nicholas Reardon on April 20, 2021 — the same day as Derek Chauvin's murder conviction. Bryant had called 911 for help during an altercation. Body camera video showed Reardon shooting Bryant as she held a knife. Reardon was not charged.

Ma'Khia Bryant, a 16-year-old Black girl in foster care, was shot and killed by Columbus, OH officer Nicholas Reardon on April 20, 2021 — the same day as Derek Chauvin's murder conviction. Bryant had called 911 for help during an altercation. Body camera video showed Reardon shooting Bryant as she held a knife. Reardon was not charged. The case highlighted the intersection of child welfare, race, and policing: Bryant was in the foster care system, which disproportionately removes Black children, and had called police for help. Her death was announced during live TV coverage of the Chauvin verdict.

The University of North Carolina's Board of Trustees declined to vote on tenure for Nikole Hannah-Jones, the Pulitzer Prize-winning creator of the 1619 Project, despite unanimous faculty recommendation. University leadership cited pressure from conservative donors. Hannah-Jones rejected a subsequent tenure offer and accepted a chair at Howard University, calling it 'a choice to bet on ourselves.'

The University of North Carolina's Board of Trustees declined to vote on tenure for Nikole Hannah-Jones, the Pulitzer Prize-winning creator of the 1619 Project, despite unanimous recommendation by the faculty committee. University leadership cited pressure from conservative donors and trustees who opposed the 1619 Project. Hannah-Jones was offered a five-year contract without tenure instead. After public outcry, the Board of Trustees voted to grant tenure in June 2021, but Hannah-Jones accepted a tenured chair at Howard University instead, calling it 'a choice to bet on ourselves.' The case became a symbol of academic freedom threats facing Black scholars.

President Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act on June 17, 2021, making June 19 — the date in 1865 when enslaved people in Galveston, TX learned of their emancipation — a federal holiday. The bill passed the Senate unanimously and the House 415-14. Juneteenth had been celebrated in Black communities for over 150 years and was already a state holiday in 49 states. The federal recognition was seen as long overdue acknowledgment of slavery's centrality to American history, though some advocates said it risked becoming commercialized without substantive policy change.

Andrew Brown Jr., 42, was shot and killed by Pasquotank County Sheriff's deputies in Elizabeth City, NC, on April 21, 2021, while they were serving a drug-related arrest warrant. Deputies fired at his car as he drove away. A county judge initially blocked public release of body camera footage for 30 days. A partial release showed Brown was shot in the back of the head; the county called this a 'contact shot' not a shot in the back. A local prosecutor declined to charge any officer; the DOJ declined to pursue federal civil rights charges in 2022.

Winston Boogie Smith Jr., 32, a Black man, was shot and killed by U.S. Marshals in Minneapolis on June 3, 2021. Marshals said he pointed a gun at them; witnesses disputed this account. Smith's killing occurred at the same intersection where George Floyd had died less than a year before. His death sparked renewed protests in Minneapolis. The case highlighted federal law enforcement's role in killings and the relative lack of accountability mechanisms for U.S. Marshals Service operations.

The community-led memorial at 38th Street and Chicago Avenue in Minneapolis — where George Floyd was killed — was maintained as George Floyd Square by residents for over a year, with community members blocking police vehicles. The Minneapolis City Council sought to reopen the intersection to traffic; community members resisted, demanding accountability and policy changes before reopening. The standoff illustrated tensions between institutional efforts to move past Floyd's killing and community insistence on accountability. The square became a pilgrimage site drawing tens of thousands of visitors and featuring community art, a 24-hour mutual aid station, and ongoing organizing.

Winston Boogie Smith Jr., 32, was shot and killed by U.S. Marshals in Minneapolis on June 3, 2021, at the same intersection where George Floyd had died less than a year before. Marshals said he pointed a gun at them; witnesses disputed this. His death sparked renewed protests and highlighted the relative lack of accountability mechanisms for U.S. Marshals Service operations.

The officer who murdered George Floyd is convicted on all counts.

The end of slavery is recognized as a national holiday.