In a recently conducted poll across the US, Black Lives Matter has catastrophically lost trust with many Americans, while support for local police has increased exponentially.
In the summer of 2020, with political tensions at an all-time high, the Black Lives Matter riots caused another point of division for the US, and in many cases the world.
Supported and encouraged by the Democrats, Hollywood and many cultural outlets across the US, Black Lives Matter truly picked up steam. They capitalised on the deaths of black individuals at the hands of police, whether rightly or wrongly. They were an incredibly popular movement, and while the momentum they gained has died down, it is difficult to see how anyone could have expected such a sharp downturn in support.
The Daily Mail reported that a poll conducted by Ipsos and USA Today showed that back in June of 2020, 60% of Americans supported and trusted the Black Lives Matter movement. However, by March 2021, this had fallen to 50%. The reasons for the change are not as clear as the polls, yet another poll has also shone out as one with particular connotations for the political atmosphere.
In June 2020, support for local police amongst Americans was at 56%, which as of March 2021 is now at 69%. There has been a shift in the perspective of Americans towards local police, who were the vilified enemy of the Black Lives Matter movement. Many will remember the “ACAB” or “All Cops Are B*stards” phrase, which was commonplace amongst Black Lives Matter riots.
Further data suggests a radically different outlook on some of the events that sparked the Black Lives Matter outcry in the first place. In June 2020, 60% of Americans believed George Floyd was killed by a police officer, but as of now, that is down by nearly half, standing at 36%.
What is even more striking is the question behind the polls on trust towards Black Lives Matter and local police. The question was: “How much do you trust the following, if at all, to promote justice and equal treatment for people of all races?”
Whatever the reasons behind this dramatic shift, the nature of it is surprising nonetheless. Is this the new direction of the culture towards racial equality, or is it a trend-based population dying down after a summer of excitement, just waiting for the next time it is seen as trendy to be all for “Black Lives Matter”?
