The Impact of George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter Protests on Emerging Adults’ Views on Racism and Racial Identity: A Mixed Methods Analysis

Adrienne Edwards-Bianchi (), I-Tung Joyce Chang and David Knox
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Adrienne Edwards-Bianchi: Individual, Family and Community Sciences Program, Department of Counseling and Human Services, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN 37614, USA
I-Tung Joyce Chang: Human Development and Family Science Program, Department of Human Services, Harmon College of Business and Professional Studies, University of Central Missouri, Warrensburg, MO 64093, USA
David Knox: Department of Sociology, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858, USA

Social Sciences, 2025, vol. 14, issue 9, 1-19

Abstract: This study explored how the death of Mr. George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter protests that followed it influenced emerging adults’ views on racism and racial identity. A mixed-methods study consisting of open-ended and Likert items was used. Two major themes, developing racial awareness and negotiating positionality, described the processes of how Mr. Floyd’s death influenced emerging adults. Quantitative analyses revealed that most participants indicated that the death made them more aware of racism (79.9%), helped them realize how serious racism is (74.1%), and increased their wanting to learn more about race relations (71.3%). Only 8% of participants attributed Mr. Floyd’s death to an unfortunate accident caused by a police officer just doing his job, with White men more likely to hold that view. Black participants reported feeling more racial pride after the death. Quantitative data revealed students’ perceptions, while qualitative data revealed the processes of how those perceptions were formed. We interpreted results using an integrated critical race theory and symbolic interactionism framework.

Keywords: emerging adults; mixed methods; Black Lives Matter; racism; racial identity; critical race theory; symbolic interactionism (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: A B N P Y80 Z00 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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