Stephen A's Take: Stephen A reacts to George Floyd's 5-year anniversary. - The Stephen A. Smith Show

Summary

Summary of "Stephen A's Take: Stephen A Reacts to George Floyd's 5-Year Anniversary"

Podcast Information:

Title: The Stephen A. Smith Show
Host: Stephen A. Smith and iHeartPodcasts
Episode Title: Stephen A's Take: Stephen A reacts to George Floyd's 5-year anniversary
Release Date: May 25, 2025

Introduction

In this poignant episode of The Stephen A. Smith Show, host Stephen A. Smith reflects on the five-year anniversary of George Floyd's tragic death. Smith delves deep into the societal and systemic issues that have persisted since the incident, evaluating the progress made and the challenges that remain.

Background: The Tragic Event and Immediate Aftermath

Stephen A. Smith begins by recounting the events of May 25, 2020, when George Floyd, an unarmed Black man, was killed by police officer Derek Chauvin in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He emphasizes the severity of the act:

Stephen A. Smith [02:15]: "Anytime an officer keeps his knee on an individual's neck for more than nine minutes, that's murder."

Chauvin was subsequently convicted on charges of murder and manslaughter, receiving a sentence of over 20 years in prison.

The Question of Change: Has Progress Been Made?

Smith shifts focus to the broader question of whether the heightened awareness and activism surrounding racial inequality in 2020 have led to meaningful changes for Black Americans.

Polling Insights:
- In September 2020, 52% of U.S. adults believed the increased focus on racial issues would lead to improvements for Black Americans. However, by February 2025, this sentiment had drastically shifted, with 72% expressing that no significant changes had occurred.

Stephen A. Smith [04:50]: "72% said the increased focus on race and racial inequality after George Floyd's killing didn't lead to improvement."

Black Lives Matter (BLM) Support:
- Support for the BLM movement has waned, decreasing by 15% since June 2020, now standing at 52%.

Stephen A. Smith [06:10]: "The share of Americans who express support for the Black Lives Matter movement stands at 52% today, a drop of 15% compared to what it was in June of 2020."

Analysis of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Initiatives

Smith critiques the trajectory of DEI efforts in corporate and societal frameworks.

Decline in DEI Commitment:
- Companies have scaled back DEI initiatives.
- Workers increasingly view DEI efforts negatively, particularly evident since the Trump administration.

Stephen A. Smith [07:30]: "Commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion has also declined. Companies have pulled back on DEI initiatives and workers views of them rather have grown to be more negative."

Impact on Black Americans:
- Contrary to popular belief, Smith argues that DEI initiatives have benefited white women more than Black Americans.

Stephen A. Smith [08:20]: "White women have been the biggest beneficiaries of DEI, according to numerous statistics... I get tired of black folks being seen as beneficiaries to something someone white has benefited from more so."

Public Perception and Societal Attitudes

Smith highlights the growing skepticism and diminished hope among Americans regarding racial equality.

Equal Rights Doubts:
- Belief that Black Americans will achieve equal rights has increased from 39% in 2020 to 49% in 2025.

Stephen A. Smith [09:45]: "49% expressed doubt that black people will ever have equal rights with white Americans, even though that's up from 39%."

Scrutiny of Black Lives Matter Leadership

Smith addresses internal challenges within the BLM movement that may have hindered its effectiveness.

Leadership Issues:
- Allegations of financial mismanagement and questionable agendas among BLM leaders have weakened the movement's credibility.

Stephen A. Smith [10:30]: "The leaders of the movement itself brought some scrutiny upon themselves in terms of how they were handling finances... those who appeared to be corrupt were the ones that ended up being the face of the movement."

Missed Opportunities for Systemic Change

Smith laments the lack of strategic political engagement by influential figures during the peak of the movement.

Role of Professional Athletes and Celebrities:
- Despite their significant influence, athletes and celebrities did not effectively lobby for legislative changes or engage with policymakers.

Stephen A. Smith [11:20]: "Why don't you connect with folks on Capitol Hill?... professional athletes who had this cachet never took the bull by the horn and did that."

Current State and Reflection

Five years later, Smith observes that many of the issues spotlighted in 2020 remain unresolved, indicating that the movement's efforts were largely superficial.

Stephen A. Smith [12:00]: "What do the riots, what do the protest? What do these kind of things have to show for its efforts? What indeed has been accomplished? I just know it's a pretty damn good one."

He emphasizes the need for concrete actions over symbolic gestures to effect real change.

Stephen A. Smith [12:15]: "We need more than symbols. Real change involved our laws, participation in issues that pertain to the American public."

Conclusion: A Call to Action

Stephen A. Smith concludes the episode by urging for increased activism and strategic efforts to address systemic inequalities.

Stephen A. Smith [13:00]: "As we move forward, maybe a little less talking and more acting, more action is necessary."

He underscores the importance of leveraging financial and social capital to influence policy and foster genuine progress.

Stephen A. Smith [13:25]: "Professional athletes, Hollywood, everybody had an opportunity to do this in 2020. Folks didn't do it... the issues that existed in 2020 still exist today."

Notable Quotes

On the Nature of George Floyd's Death:

"Anytime an officer keeps his knee on an individual's neck for more than nine minutes, that's murder."
— Stephen A. Smith [02:15]
On Public Perception Shift:

"72% said the increased focus on race and racial inequality after George Floyd's killing didn't lead to improvement."
— Stephen A. Smith [04:50]
On DEI Beneficiaries:

"White women have been the biggest beneficiaries of DEI... I get tired of black folks being seen as beneficiaries to something someone white has benefited from more so."
— Stephen A. Smith [08:20]
On Leadership Scrutiny in BLM:

"Those who appeared to be corrupt... were the ones that ended up being the face of the movement."
— Stephen A. Smith [10:30]
On the Need for Action:

"Maybe a little less talking and more acting, more action is necessary."
— Stephen A. Smith [13:00]

Final Thoughts

In this reflective episode, Stephen A. Smith provides a critical analysis of the societal changes—or lack thereof—since George Floyd's death five years ago. He challenges listeners to assess the true impact of activism movements and emphasizes the necessity for sustained, actionable efforts to achieve racial equality and systemic reform.

Transcript

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Stephen A. Smith (1:05)

No purchase necessary. VGW Group Void where prohibited by law 21 plus terms and conditions apply. What we need to do first is talk about what this Sunday entails. What it marks. It marks the five year anniversary since George Floyd was murdered. If you remember, George Floyd, an unarmed black man, was killed by a white police Officer in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 2020, May 25, 2020 to be exact. The officer, Derek Chauvin was, would eventually be found guilty on charges of murder and manslaughter and sentenced to more than 20 years in prison. I think that on a day like today, a subject that needs to be broached is not about George Floyd specifically because we know he was murdered. Anytime an officer keeps his knee on an individual's neck for more than nine minutes, that's murder. We're not debating that. No matter how much the Ben Shapiro's of the world and others who have talked to me about it, and I respect their opinions, but we'd have to respectfully disagree. That was murder. That's the way that I look at it, plain and simple, and I'm not deviating from that thought process one iota. Having said that, that's not the subject that I think today's show should warrant. I think that the question that should be asked is if you're an adult in the United States of America, considering the increased focus that existed in 2020 on issues of race and racial inequality and whether or not that was really, really going to lead to changes that would improve the lives of black Americans in this country, has that happened? Has that happened? Because if you recall, in the aftermath of George Floyd's killing, there were riots in the streets. Just remember that Floyd's murder occurred just months after the killings of Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor, which sparked nationwide protest. Millions of Americans marched in communities across the country, drawing attention to issues of racial inequality, including the treatment of black folks by some police officers. I don't engage in black insane police brutality. I say brutality on the part of some police officers because I believe, by and large, police officers who have vowed and took an oath to protect and serve do just that. A few rogue individuals should not castigate and stigmatize an entire entity that is law enforcement. I'm not doing that. But with that being said, I still think that it's important to at least broach the subject as to whether or not real change has occurred. Because according to recent polls, 52% of U.S. adults said the increased focus on issues of race and racial inequality would lead to changes that would improve the lives of Black Americans. 46% said it would not. That was in September of 2020. If we look at it now, in February of 2025, according to polls that I'm looking at, 72% said it didn't lead to changes at all. Didn't lead to changes at all. And when we look at that, 72%, they say the increased focus on race and racial inequality after George Floyd's killing didn't lead to improvement, to the improvement of lives of black Americans in this country. The share of Americans who express support for the Black Lives Matter movement stands at 52% today, a drop of 15% compared to what it was in June of 2020. This is according to the Pew Research Center. Commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion has also declined. Companies have pulled back on DEI initiatives and workers view them as. And workers views of them rather have grown to be more negative. We see that particularly since the Trump administration came into play. Now, me personally, I've been one who has been diametrically opposed to DEI being associated with black Americans in this country, considering the fact that white women have been the biggest beneficiaries of dei, according to numerous statistics. Just just as was the case with white women being the biggest benefactors or the beneficiaries rather of affirmative action. I get tired of black folks being seen as beneficiaries to something someone white has benefited from more so I thought it was important to point that out. But nevertheless, the negative connotations still get associated and connotated with black people. And so that's something that we have to look at moving forward, 49% expressed doubt that black people will ever have equal rights with white Americans, even though that's up from 39%. I said that is up from 39% in 2020. So in 2020, 39% doubted that Blacks would ever have equal rights compared to white folks. And now that number has increased to 49% again, according to the Pew Research Center. So all of these things are things to pay attention to. And the thing that alarms me personally is that Black Lives Matter certainly has brought some scrutiny. The leaders of the movement itself brought some scrutiny upon themselves in terms of how they were handling finances and things of that nature. We don't need to that today. And they gave folks on the right an opportunity to come at them, to really question their validity, their intent, their agenda. And those who were down for the course for all the right reasons, essentially their voices, it was like whispering into the wind. No one really, really heard them because the few who appeared to be corrupt, whose agendas and intent appeared to be a bit insidious, were the ones that ended up being the face of the movement. And to some degree it diluted its impact and potency. There is no way around that. And one of the things that I lamented when all of this stuff was going on and when we saw players taking a knee, whether it was on NBA courts during the bubble, whether it was on a football field where even Jerry Jones ended up taking a knee, when then President Donald Trump insulted NFL players and stuff like that, I found myself saying with the collective value monetarily that professional athletes possessed, why don't you connect with folks on Capitol Hill? Why don't you serve the role of being a modern day lobbyist and making sure that you funnel money into the coffers of whatever organization you choose to influence individuals on Capitol Hill to support your cause, since that's what everybody else is doing. But the professional athletes who had this cachet, who had this power, who appeared to be committed to making this kind of difference, never took the bull by the horn and did that. And so now here we are, five years later, and the question is a legitimate one. What do the riots, what do the protest? What do these kind of things have to show for its efforts? What indeed has been accomplished? I don't know the answer to this question. I just know it's a pretty damn good one. A majority of us adults say relationships between black people and the police hasn't changed since George Floyd's killing. How true is that? We don't know. We just know what's being said. And to me, that matters. Black Lives Matter painted in the streets of Washington, D.C. that was erased. We all know that minute Trump got in office that was going to be erased. But I'm not tripping over that personally, because I need more than symbols. When we look at dei, when we look at affirmative action, when we look at the positions that are being taken, when we see some of the things that have transpired. And I'm not blaming everything on Trump and I'm not blaming everything on his administration, because I do think that things got a bit excessive and I do think that there were people out there that used causes that were legit, those the kind of things that were being protested in the streets of America to empower themselves to get whatever they could out of it instead of contributing legitimately to the cause. I don't need to belabor this point. I just need you to know what kind of things I'm thinking about as we explore what's really come of George Floyd's killing, what our aspirations were compared to what we truly and have legitimately accomplished or have failed to accomplish. Because the fact remains that as we look at our society right now, you would think that we wouldn't have the complaints about the goings ons that's taking place in today's society if those changes were indeed made. But they weren't made. It shows that it was a bunch of lip service. Because the real change that needed to be made involved our laws, involved participation in issues that pertain to the American public, and to make sure that our voices were heard in a resounding fashion. So people would know never to let these kind of things happen again. That's not what's happened. As things have changed, some would say they've remained the same. Others would say times have gotten worse. That's just the way it is right now. Which means that as we move forward, maybe a little less talking and more acting, more action is necessary. I'll say it one last time if you got that kind of financial cachet, considering lobbyists all across America and how they influence our politicians on Capitol Hill, professional athletes, Hollywood and everybody in between had an opportunity to do this in 2020. Folks didn't do it. Instead, they gave lip service, they protested. Biden got in office, Trump was out, and as a result, they turned their attention towards stuff like cancer culture and woke politics. And the other side paid their attention to denigrating the left from for focusing on those things and highlighting how it would hurt the fabric of America and the issues that existed in 2020 still exist today. Go figure.