June 27, 2016- pewsocialtrends.org
On Views of Race and Inequality, Blacks and Whites Are Worlds Apart
About four-in-ten blacks are doubtful that the U.S. will ever achieve racial equality
-------------
Almost eight years after Barack Obama’s
election as the nation’s first black president –an event that engendered
a sense of optimism among many Americans about the future of race
relations
– a series of flashpoints around the U.S. has exposed deep racial
divides and reignited a national conversation about race. A new Pew
Research Center survey finds profound differences between black and
white adults in their views on racial discrimination, barriers to black
progress and the prospects for change. Blacks, far more than whites, say
black people are treated unfairly across different realms of life, from
dealing with the police to applying for a loan or mortgage. And, for
many blacks, racial equality remains an elusive goal.
An An additional 42% of
blacks believe that the country will eventually make the changes needed
for blacks to have equal rights with whites, and just 8% say the country
has already made the necessary changes.
A Four-in-ten whites believe the country
will eventually make the changes needed for blacks to have equal
rights, and about the same share (38%) say enough changes have already
been made.
These findings are based on a national
survey by Pew Research Center conducted Feb. 29-May 8, 2016, among 3,769
adults (including 1,799 whites, 1,004 blacks and 654 Hispanics).
The survey – and the analysis of the survey findings – is centered
primarily around the divide between blacks and whites and on the
treatment of black people in the U.S. today. In recent years, this
centuries-old divide has garnered renewed attention following the deaths
of unarmed black Americans during encounters with the police, as well
as a racially motivated shooting that killed nine black parishioners at a
church in Charleston, South Carolina, in 2015.
The survey finds that black and white
adults have widely different perceptions about what life is like for
blacks in the U.S. For example, by large margins, blacks are more likely
than whites to say black people are treated less fairly in the
workplace (a difference of 42 percentage points), when applying for a
loan or mortgage (41 points), in dealing with the police (34 points), in
the courts (32 points), in stores or restaurants (28 points), and when
voting in elections (23 points). By a margin of at least 20 percentage
points, blacks are also more likely than whites to say racial
discrimination (70% vs. 36%), lower quality schools (75% vs. 53%) and
lack of jobs (66% vs. 45%) are major reasons that blacks may have a
harder time getting ahead than whites.
More broadly, blacks and whites offer different perspectives of the current state of race relations in the U.S. In contrast, by a nearly two-to-one margin, blacks are more likely to say race relations are bad (61%) rather than good (34%). About four-in-ten whites (41%) – compared with 22% of blacks – say there is too much focus on race and racial issues.
Blacks and whites also differ in their
opinions about the best approach for improving race relations: Among
whites, more than twice as many say that in order to improve race
relations, it’s more important to focus on what different racial and
ethnic groups have in common (57%) as say the focus should be on what
makes each group unique (26%). Among blacks, similar shares say the
focus should be on commonalities (45%) as say it should be on
differences (44%).
When asked specifically about the impact
President Barack Obama has had on race relations in the U.S., a majority
of Americans give the president credit for at least trying to make
things better, but a quarter say he has made race relations worse.
Blacks and whites differ significantly in their assessments. Some 51% of
blacks say Obama has made progress toward improving race relations, and
an additional 34% say he has tried but failed to make progress.
Relatively few blacks (5%) say Obama has made race relations worse,
while 9% say he hasn’t addressed the issue at all.
Among whites, 28% say Obama has made
progress toward improving race relations and 24% say he has tried but
failed to make progress. This
is driven largely by the views of white Republicans, 63% of whom say
Obama has made race relations worse (compared with just 5% of white
Democrats).
When asked about their views of Black
Lives Matter, the activist movement that first came to national
prominence following the 2014 shooting death of an unarmed black
18-year-old by a white police officer in Ferguson, Missouri, roughly
two-thirds (65%) of blacks express support, including 41% who strongly
support it. Among whites, four-in-ten say they support the Black Lives
Movement at least somewhat, and this is particularly the case among
white Democrats and those younger than 30.
Across the survey’s findings, there are
significant fault lines within the white population – perhaps none more
consistent than the partisan divide. For example, among whites,
Democrats and Republicans differ dramatically on the very salience of
race issues in this country.
For their part, a 49% plurality of white Democrats say too little
attention is paid to race these days, compared with only 11% of
Republicans.
And while about eight-in-ten (78%) white
Democrats say the country needs to continue making changes to achieve
racial equality between whites and blacks, just 36% of white Republicans
agree; 54% of white Republicans believe the country has already made
the changes necessary for blacks to have equal rights with whites.
There are large gaps between blacks and whites in their views of race
relations and racial inequality in the United States. Explore how the
opinions of blacks and whites vary by age, education, gender and party
identification in
key questions from our report.
The economic realities of black and white households
Trends in key economic and demographic
indicators provide some context for the experiences and outlook of
blacks today. While there has been clear progress in closing the
white-black gap in some areas – particularly when it comes to high
school completion rates – decades-old black-white gaps in economic
well-being persist and have even widened in some cases.
According to a new Pew Research Center analysis of data from the U.S. Census Bureau,
3 Blacks also lag behind whites in college completion, but even
The racial gap extends to household
wealth – a measure where the gap has widened since the Great Recession.
In 2013, the most recent year available, the median net worth of
households headed by whites was roughly 13 times that of black
households ($144,200 for whites compared with $11,200 for blacks).
For most Americans, household wealth is
closely tied to home equity, and there are sharp and persistent gaps in
homeownership between blacks and whites. In 2015, 72% of white household
heads owned a home, compared with 43% of black household heads.
And on the flipside of wealth – poverty –
racial gaps persist, even though the poverty rate for blacks has come
down significantly since the mid-1980s. Blacks are still more than twice
as likely as whites to be living in poverty (26% compared with 10% in
2014).
Blacks and whites are divided on reasons that blacks may be struggling to get ahead
Despite these economic realities, when
asked about the financial situation of blacks compared with whites
today, about four-in-ten blacks either say that both groups are about
equally well off (30%) or that blacks are better off than whites
financially (8%). Still, about six-in-ten (58%) blacks say that, as a
group, they are worse off than whites.
Among whites, a plurality (47%) say blacks
are worse off financially, while 37% say blacks are about as well off
as whites and 5% say blacks are doing better than whites.
Blacks and whites with a bachelor’s degree
are more likely than those with less education to say blacks are worse
off financially than whites these days. Roughly eight-in-ten (81%)
blacks with a four-year college degree say this, compared with 61% of
blacks with only some college education and 46% of blacks with a high
school diploma or less. In a similar pattern, about two-thirds (66%) of
white college graduates say blacks are worse off financially than
whites, while fewer among those who attended college but did not receive
a degree (47%) and those who did not attend college (29%) say the same.
When asked about the underlying reasons
that blacks may be having a harder time getting ahead than whites, large
majorities of black adults point to societal factors. Two-thirds or
more blacks say failing schools (75%), racial discrimination (70%) and a
lack of jobs (66%) are major reasons that black people may have a
harder time getting ahead these days.
On each of these items, the views of
blacks differ significantly from those of whites. But, by far, the
biggest gap comes on racial discrimination, where only 36% of whites say
this is a major reason that blacks may be struggling to get ahead, 34
percentage points lower than the share of blacks who say the same.
The views of blacks and whites are more
closely aligned when it comes to the impact that family instability (57%
and 55%, respectively) and a lack of good role models (51% and 52%) has
on black progress. However, the relative ranking of these items varies
among blacks and whites. While whites rank family instability and a lack
of good role models above or on a par with societal factors as major
reasons that blacks may have a harder time getting ahead than whites,
fewer blacks say these items are major reasons than say the same about
lower quality schools, discrimination, and lack of jobs.
Blacks are more likely than whites to say a
lack of motivation to work hard may be holding blacks back: 43% of
black adults and 30% of whites say this is a major reason blacks are
having a harder time getting ahead than whites.
More whites and blacks say individual discrimination is a bigger problem than institutional racism
On balance, the public thinks that when it
comes to discrimination against black people in the U.S. today,
discrimination that is based on the prejudice of individual people is a
bigger problem than discrimination that is built into the nation’s laws
and institutions. This is the case among both blacks and whites, but
while whites offer this opinion by a large margin (70% to 19%), blacks
are more evenly divided (48% to 40%).
Still, large majorities of black adults
say that blacks in this country are treated unfairly in a range of
institutional settings – from the criminal justice system, to the
workplace to banks and financial institutions.
Fully and three-quarters say blacks are treated less fairly in the courts.
Roughly two-thirds of black adults say
that blacks are treated less fairly than whites when applying for a loan
or mortgage (66%) and in the workplace (64%). Somewhat smaller shares –
though still upwards of four-in-ten – see unfair treatment for blacks
in stores and restaurants (49%) and when voting in elections (43%).
Across all of these realms, whites are
much less likely than blacks to perceive unequal treatment – with
differences ranging from 23 to 42 percentage points.
Personal experiences with discrimination
A majority of blacks (71%) say that they
have experienced discrimination or been treated unfairly because of
their race or ethnicity. Roughly one-in-ten (11%) say this happens to
them on a regular basis, while 60% say they have experienced this rarely
or from time to time.
Among blacks, men and women are equally
likely to report having personally experienced racial discrimination,
and there are no large gaps by age. There is an educational divide,
however: Blacks with at least some college experience (81%) are much
more likely than blacks who never attended college (59%) to say they
have been discriminated against because of their race.
Experiences with racial discrimination are
far less common among whites, but a sizable minority (30%) of white
adults report that they have been discriminated against or treated
unfairly because of their race or ethnicity. Only 2% say this happens to
them regularly and 28% say it occurs less frequently. Whites who say
they have a lot of contact with blacks are more likely to say they’ve
been discriminated against because of their race than are whites who
have less contact with blacks.
While some whites report being treated
unfairly at times because of their race, the overall impact is
relatively minor. Only 5% of whites say their race or ethnicity has made
it harder for them to succeed in life. A majority of whites (62%) say
their race hasn’t made much of difference in their ability to succeed,
and 31% say their race has made things easier for them.
College-educated
By comparison, 31% of whites with some college education and 17% of
those with a high school diploma or less say their race has made things
easier for them. White Democrats (49%) are also among the most likely to
say that their race or ethnicity has made it easier for them to get
ahead in life.
For many blacks, the cumulative impact of discrimination has had a markedly negative impact on their lives. Roughly
half (51%) say their race hasn’t made a difference in their overall
success, and just 8% say being black has made things easier.
There is a sharp educational divide among
blacks on the overall impact their race has had on their ability to
succeed. Fully 55% of blacks with a four-year college degree say their
race has made it harder for them to succeed in life. Some 45% of blacks
who attended college but did not receive a bachelor’s degree say the
same. Among blacks with a high school education or less, a far lower
share (29%) say their race has made it harder for them to succeed. A
majority of this group (60%) say their race hasn’t made a difference.
About half of blacks say people have acted like they were suspicious of them
Unfair treatment can come in different forms. Roughly half of blacks
(47%) say that in the past 12 months someone has acted as if they were
suspicious of them because of their race or ethnicity. Many blacks also
report feeling like others have questioned their intelligence. Some 45%
say that in the past 12 months people have treated them as if they were
not smart because of their race or ethnicity.
Roughly one-in-five blacks (21%) say they
have been treated unfairly by an employer in the past year because of
their race or ethnicity, and a similar share (18%) report having been
unfairly stopped by the police during this period.
Black men are more likely than black women
to say that people have treated them with suspicion (52% vs. 44%). And
they are more likely to say they have been unfairly stopped by the
police (22% vs. 15%).
Being treated with suspicion and being
treated as if they are not intelligent are more common experiences for
black adults who attended college than for those who did not. For
example, 52% of those with at least some college education say that, in
the past 12 months, someone has treated them as if they thought they
weren’t smart because of their race or ethnicity, compared with 37% of
those with a high school diploma or less.
Among blacks, widespread support for the Black Lives Matter movement
Most Some 12% of
blacks say they oppose Black Lives Matter (including 4% who strongly
oppose it). Even so, blacks have somewhat mixed views about the extent
to which the Black Lives Matter movement will be effective, in the long
run, in helping blacks achieve equality. Most (59%) think it will be
effective, but only 20% think it will be very effective. About
one-in-five (21%) say it won’t be too effective or won’t be effective at
all in the long run.
Blacks with a bachelor’s degree or more
are among the most skeptical that the Black Lives Matter movement will
ultimately help bring about racial equality. About three-in-ten (31%) of
those with a bachelor’s degree or more education say that, in the long
run, the movement won’t be too effective or won’t be effective at all,
compared with about two-in-ten adults with less education.
Granted, many blacks are skeptical overall
that the country will eventually make the changes needed to bring about
racial equality. But even among those who think change will eventually
come, only 23% say Black Lives Matter will be very effective in helping
bring about equality.
For their part, whites have mixed views of
the Black Lives Matter movement. Four-in-ten whites say they support
the movement (14% strongly support and 26% somewhat support). And about a
third (34%) of whites say, in the long run, the Black Lives Matter
movement will be at least somewhat effective in helping blacks achieve
equality.
Young white adults are more enthusiastic
about Black Lives Matter than middle-aged and older whites. Six-in-ten
of those ages 18 to 29 say they support it, compared with 46% of whites
ages 30 to 49, 37% of whites ages 50 to 64, and 26% of whites 65 and
older. Young whites are also somewhat more likely than their older
counterparts to say that the Black Lives Matter movement will be at
least somewhat effective in the long run (47% vs. 37%, 32% and 26%,
respectively).
Whites’ views on Black Lives Matter also
differ significantly by party identification. Some 64% of white
Democrats support the movement, including 29% who do so strongly.
One-in-five white Republicans and 42% of white independents say they
support the Black Lives Matter movement (4% of Republicans and 11% of
independents strongly support it). White Democrats are also much more
likely than Republicans and independents to say that the movement will
ultimately be at least somewhat effective in bringing about racial
equality (53% vs. 20% and 34%, respectively).
When asked how well they feel they
understand the goals of the Black Lives Matter movement, blacks are much
more likely than whites to say they understand it very or fairly well.
Even so, about one-in-five blacks (19%) say they don’t have a good
understanding of its goals, compared with 29% of whites. But general
awareness of Black Lives Matter is widespread among whites and blacks:
Overall, 81% of blacks and 76% of whites have heard at least a little
about the movement, including about half or more of each group (56% and
48%, respectively), who say they have heard a lot.
Many blacks and whites say community engagement is key to bringing about racial equality
More than four-in-ten blacks (48%) and
whites (46%) say that working with community members to solve problems
in their community would be a very effective tactic for groups striving
to help blacks achieve equality. But the two groups disagree about the
effectiveness of some other tactics.
In particular, Blacks are also more likely than whites to say it would
be very effective for groups working to help blacks achieve equality to
bring people of different racial backgrounds together to talk about race
(41% vs. 34%). Similarly, blacks see more value than whites in
organizing protests and rallies, although relatively few blacks view
this as a very effective way to bring about change (19% vs. 7% of
whites).
The remainder of this report examines in
greater detail the public’s views of the state of race relations and
racial inequality in the U.S. Chapter 1 looks at some key demographic
and economic indicators where blacks have made progress or lag behind
other racial and ethnic groups. Chapter 2 focuses on views about the
current state of race relations and its trajectory, as well as the job
Obama has done on this issue. Chapter 3 examines the extent to which
Americans think the country has made – or will eventually make – the
changes necessary for blacks to achieve equal rights with whites. It
also looks at perceptions about the way blacks and whites are treated
across many realms of American life. Chapter 4 focuses on what the
public sees as effective strategies for groups and organizations working
to promote racial equality and explores attitudes toward the Black
Lives Matter movement and other organizations that strive to bring about
equality for black Americans. Chapter 5 looks at personal experiences
with discrimination as well as perceptions about the impact race and
gender have had in one’s life. Chapter 6 describes the outlook and
experiences of blacks, whites and Hispanics, particularly as they relate
to personal finances.
Other key findings
- About half (48%) of whites say they are very satisfied with the
quality of life in their community, compared with about a third (34%) of
blacks. This gap persists after controlling for income. For example,
57% of whites with an annual family income of $75,000 or more report
that they are very satisfied with the quality of life in their
community; just 38% of blacks in the same income group say the same.
- Blacks are far more likely than whites to say they have experienced
financial hardship in the past 12 months. About four-in-ten (41%) blacks
say they have had trouble paying their bills, and about a quarter (23%)
say they have gotten food from a food bank or food pantry during this
period. Among whites, 25% say they have struggled to pay their bills,
and 8% report having sought out food from a food bank in the past 12
months.
- Black men are far more likely than white men to say their gender has
made it harder for them to get ahead in life (20% vs. 5%,
respectively). Among women, similar shares of blacks (28%) and whites
(27%) say their gender has set them back.
- About eight-in-ten (81%) blacks say they feel at least somewhat
connected to a broader black community in the U.S., including 36% who
feel very connected. Blacks who feel a strong sense of connection to a
broader black community are more likely than those who don’t to say that
in the past 12 months they have made a financial contribution to,
attended an event sponsored by, or volunteered their time to a group or
organization working specifically to improve the lives of black
Americans.
- Majorities of blacks say the NAACP (77%), the National Urban League
(66%) and the Congressional Black Caucus (63%) have been at least
somewhat effective in helping blacks achieve equality in this country.
Only about three-in-ten or fewer say each of these groups has been very
effective, likely reflecting, at least in part, the widespread view
among blacks that the country has work to do for blacks to achieve equal
rights with whites.
-----------------
