We’ve been here before: Reactions to the murder of George Floyd and subsequent protests for justice.

Abstract

Although experiences with police vary widely by race in the United States, many Americans expressed negative reactions to the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police in May 2020, which led to racially diverse protests for Floyd's justice. Objective: This study assessed differences in Black and White Americans' reactions to the murder of George Floyd and the presence of White Americans at the subsequent protests for justice. Method: Black and White Americans (N = 290) took part in an online study in which they responded to questions regarding their reactions to the murder of George Floyd, the subsequent protests for justice, and critical knowledge (e.g., previous experiences with police and broad knowledge of Black history). Results: Results of a preregistered study showed that Black (relative to White) Americans were more surprised by the extent of White participation in protests for justice. Also, Black Americans were more alarmed (i.e., emotionally jarred) by Floyd's murder. These differences in reactions were explained by Black (relative to White) Americans having more negative experiences with police brutality, both personally and among close others. Conclusion: This suggests that reactions to police brutality are experientially rooted, joining long-standing calls to center the lived experiences of Black Americans in psychological research.