More Black Americans live in Texas than any other state. Two years after George Floyd’s murder, many reconsider their future here.

Clockwise from top left: Chas Moore, Karen Kossie-Chernyshev, Naomi Green, Faith Anderson, Ashton Woods, Milton Harris, Ryan Douglas and X. (Credit: The Texas Tribune)

After the nation watched a Minneapolis police officer murder George Floyd two summers ago, Gov. Greg Abbott promised Floyd's Houston relatives that his death would not be in vain — and signaled an openness to pursuing police reforms.

But even as millions of Americans protested excessive force, systemic racism and law enforcement’s treatment of people of color, Abbott quickly pivoted to defending police funding while remaining relatively quiet on overhauling public safety practices. Earlier this month, Abbott appointed an Austin police officer indicted for excessive force during the 2020 protests to the state agency that regulates law enforcement — which brought swift criticism for the message it sent to Black Texans.