Criminal Justice

As we mark 10 years since the #BlackLivesMatter hashtag first appeared on social media, here are eight facts about the Black Lives Matter movement.

More than 44 million #BlackLivesMatter tweets from nearly 10 million distinct users currently exist on Twitter today. Over half of all existing tweets that include the #BlackLivesMatter hashtag were posted from May to September 2020.

Today, 51% of U.S. adults say they support the Black Lives Matter movement – down from 67% in June 2020. A majority of Americans say the increased focus on race and racial inequality in the past three years hasn't led to improvement for Black Americans.

In 2022, only 290 of 71,954 defendants in federal criminal cases – about 0.4% – went to trial and were acquitted.

Prior to the Tyre Nichols video release, views of police conduct in the U.S. had improved in three of four measures, with crime an exception.

Most Black adults (63%) say voting is an extremely or very effective strategy for Black progress; only 42% say the same of protesting.

About half of Black adults (52%) say racism in U.S. laws is the bigger problem for Black people, while 43% cite racism by individuals.

With Election Day approaching, here’s a closer look at voter attitudes on violent crime and an analysis of the nation’s violent crime rate.

Black Americans support significant reforms to or complete overhauls of several U.S. institutions to ensure fair treatment. Yet even as they assess inequality and ideas about progress, many are pessimistic about whether society and institutions will change in ways that would reduce racism.

Black Americans are critical of key aspects of policing and criminal justice. But their views on face recognition technology are more nuanced.