Support for BLM drops to lowest levels since 2020

Support for the Black Lives Matter organization (BLM) is at its lowest point since its peak in 2020, a new Pew Research poll published on Tuesday has found.

51 percent of Americans report that they support the activist organization. At its height in 2020 after the death of George Floyd, the organization had the support of 67 percent of the country, while 31 percent of the population opposed the organization.

Age plays a role in how a person views the organization. 64 percent of those between 18 and 29, 52 percent of those between 30 and 49, and 46 percent of those between 50 and 64 currently say they support the organization. They also note that 81 percent of black adults support BLM, while 40 percent of white adults describe the movement as divisive. 

Support is also split down party lines, with 84 percent of Democrat-leaning voters in support of it, and 82 percent of Republican-leaning voters opposing it. 

The report noted that only 40 percent of Americans belive the increased attention on racial issues has led to meaningful change. 

BLM was founded in July 2013 after the acquittal of George Zimmerman, who was accused of killing Trayvon Martin. The group took off in 2020 after it organized a protest that turned into riots in the wake of George Floyd's death.  

That year it raised over $90 million in donations. Since that time the organization has been embroiled in scandals and a report from May shows it is on the brink of insolvency after taking an $8.5 million loss in 2022. 

In May 2021, it was revealed that the founder and former executive director Patrisse Cullors spent $3.2 million on four separate homes. She resigned that month, but not before she allegedly funneled $238,000 to a company that belonged to the father of her child. 

Cullors is also shown to have paid her brother $126,000 to be the organization's head of security. Which total earned him and his two security companies $1.6 million. When confronted about hiring her sibling who had no prior security experience, Cullors claimed she needed someone she could trust to protect her, because they can't trust the police. 

A lawsuit filed in September accused Shalomyah Howard of stealing $10 million from the group and using donations as a "personal piggy bank."