Three Local & Statewide Efforts Since Rochester Protested the Murder of Daniel Prude That Can Help Visionaries Chart a Course Through Chaos
- tmanon1
- May 28
- 3 min read
By: MMM Editorial Team
This month marks five years since the 2020 uprisings that shook the world. Sparked by the deaths of George Floyd and, locally, Daniel Prude, the protests pushed thousands into the streets, resulting in long demonstrations and almost two dozen arrests.
In Rochester, the release of bodycam footage showing Daniel Prude’s suffocation at the hands of police officers—months after his actual death—triggered nights of protests. Demonstrators were met with pepper balls, tear gas, and mass arrests. Community organizers faced criminal charges that many argue were used to intimidate and suppress future protests.
But repression didn’t stop the movement. If anything, it helped the rest of the community understand exactly what protestors were saying and the need to create more accountability for officers and safety for our commuitis.
What emerged was a powerful, sustained campaign led by Free the People Roc, a grassroots-led organization that helped push Rochester’s activism into real policy change, including:
The creation of a mental health crisis response team that now handles many emergency calls instead of police, transforming how the city responds to people in crisis.
The repeal of New York’s 50-A law, which had long shielded police disciplinary records from public scrutiny.
Protesters becoming policymakers—several leaders from the movement ran for office and won, shifting the power structure from the outside in.
These changes were not overnight. They were the result of planning, strategic messaging, and, most importantly, adaptability and a refusal to back down.
So What Can Today’s Visionaries Learn?
If you’re building something powerful and purposeful—whether that’s a political campaign, a social venture, or a full-on movement—you need more than passion. You need a plan. And Rochester’s 2020 uprising offers key lessons for pushing an idea into the mainstream and gaining support.
1. Capitalize on the Moment—Even When You’re Tired
Immediately after the Daniel Prude protests, organizers were exhausted. Some were arrested. Others were doxxed or harassed. But instead of retreating, they got to work: holding press conferences, drafting demands, and funneling public attention into real action.
Lesson: Don’t wait to recover in the traditional sense but bring the public in as you make the next shift. The days after a crisis often define the long-term legacy. Media attention and public emotion are temporary—and you must capitalize on it right away or risk the opposition defining your perspective for you. It can be particularly helpful to create resources, including fact sheets, before the demonstration to have them on hand for press afterward.
Your next moves are your most important ones.
2. Refine Your Message in Real Time
Language shifts. So does public understanding. During the 2020 protests, terms like “defund the police” went mainstream—then quickly became polarizing. Organizers had to constantly adapt how they explained their goals without diluting them.
Lesson: Be flexible but firm. You’ll need to repeat your message, reframe it, and repackage it again and again in a way that's memorable and still becomes a rallying cry. That’s how movements build momentum—by evolving without losing sight of the mission. As you gain a bigger audience, you'll begin to get more of the mainstream and it's important to not co-opt your message but to refine it to include more people and be understandable to people who don't share your contextual knowledge.
Your message is not just what you say—it’s what people remember, repeat, and rally around.
3. Prepare to Engage with the System (Whether You Want To or Not)
The movement began in the streets, but it didn’t end there. It moved into city council chambers, policy meetings, and boardrooms. It became about infrastructure. And it proved that real change often comes through systemic disruption and participation.
Lesson: You will have to engage systems. Whether it’s lobbying, testifying, suing, or running for office, you’ll need to know how power works in order to shift it. The protest is the spark. The work afterward is the engine.
The vision doesn’t end with disruption. It begins with what you build next.
Final Word for Visionaries
The chaos of 2020 left many people unsure of what to do next. But visionaries know how to read the moment—and respond with strategy, not just sentiment, pushing the entire community into the next phase of the political conversation.
At Mañón Media Management, we help purpose-driven leaders clarify their message, deepen their impact, and use media as a tool for transformation—not just attention. We’ve seen how protest energy can become political power, and we help our clients prepare for that next step.
If you're building something bold and need support turning chaos into clarity, start with our Clarity That Converts guide here or book a strategy call.
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