Murders of Black Americans Surged in 2020 Amid ‘Defund the Police’ Movement

Police tape blocks access to the scene of a burglary and shooting in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Dec. 1, 2021. Valerie Macon/AFP via Getty Images

The year 2020 saw a 32 percent increase in the number of black Americans murdered compared to the previous year.

Some experts say the spike was caused by the Black Lives Matter movement and efforts to defund the police in the wake of the killing of George Floyd the same year.