Views on whether the public’s increased attention to the history of slavery and racism is good or bad for society are divided by age and education, as well as by race and political affiliation.
Not surprisingly, people of color -- Asian, Black and Hispanics -- want to have more discussions while Whites would prefer not to talk about the impact of racism on the country's history and the problems that have emerged from that legacy.
Asians, Blacks and Hispanic adults overwhelmingly say White people benefit from advantages because of their race. White adults are divided; 47% say Whites benefit the advantages they have, but 52% believe there is no benefit.
Asians, Blacks and Hispanic adults overwhelmingly say White people benefit from advantages because of their race. White adults are divided; 47% say Whites benefit the advantages they have, but 52% believe there is no benefit.
Republicans are far more likely than Democrats to say increased attention to history of slavery and racism is bad for the country, according to a new Pew Research Center report.
Opinion on the current national reckoning over the history of slavery and racism in the United States casts these divisions into stark relief: Among U.S. adults overall, 53% say increased public attention to that history is a good thing for society, while 26% say it is a bad thing and another 21% say it is neither good nor bad.
The survey, conducted July 8-18 among U.S. adults on Pew Research Center’s American Trends Panel, finds a wide partisan divide in these opinions:
Among other key findings from the report:
• There are wide racial and ethnic differences in these opinions: 75% of Black adults say heightened public attention to this topic is a good thing, with 54% saying it is “very good” for society. Majorities of Asian American (64%) and Hispanic (59%) adults also view this positively, though much smaller shares say it is a very good thing, compared with Black adults. Among White adults, however, fewer than half (46%) say greater attention to the history of slavery and racism in the U.S. is good for society, with just 24% saying it is very good.
• Americans are divided over how much progress has been made toward racial equality and how much more needs to be done. While most adults say the nation has achieved at least a little progress toward racial equality over the past 50 years, 48% say “a lot” of progress has been made. Similarly, while most say more needs to be done to bring about racial equality, half say a lot more needs to be done.
• Those who say a lot more needs to be done to ensure racial equality are split over how this can be achieved. About a quarter of the public (24%) says that while there are many inequities in U.S. laws and institutions, necessary changes can be made by working within the current systems, while roughly as many (25%) say that most laws and major institutions need to be completely rebuilt because they are fundamentally biased against some racial and ethnic groups.
• Nearly eight-in-ten Black adults say a lot more needs to be done to ensure equal rights for Americans of all racial and ethnic backgrounds. This includes 58% who say that in order to achieve this goal, most of the nation’s laws and major institutions need to be completely rebuilt because they are fundamentally biased.
• Smaller majorities of Hispanic (59%) and Asian American (56%) adults say a lot more needs to be done to achieve racial equality; just 30% of Hispanics and 24% of Asian Americans say laws and institutions are fundamentally biased and need to be completely rebuilt.
• Among White adults, 42% say a lot more needs to be done to ensure racial equality: 18% say most laws and institutions need to be completely rebuilt, while 24% say necessary changes can be made within the current systems.
• Republicans overwhelmingly think only a little (47%) or nothing (30%) needs to be done to ensure equal rights for all Americans, regardless of their racial or ethnic backgrounds. Just 22% say a lot more needs to be done, with only 7% saying that most major institutions need to be rebuilt because they are fundamentally biased.
• Democrats, by contrast, generally agree that a lot more needs to be done to achieve racial equality (74% say this). Yet Democrats are divided over whether this will require rebuilding most laws and institutions (40%) or can be achieved working through existing systems (33%).
• A 53% majority of Democrats say White people benefit from advantages in society that Black people do not have. While that is little changed in the past year, the share of Democrats expressing this view has increased 15 percentage points since 2016 (from 38% to 53%).
• There has been very little change in Republicans’ views over the past five years: Just 6% of Republicans now say White people benefit from advantages that Black people do not have. Nearly three-quarters of Republicans (73%) say White people get little benefit (39%) or no benefit at all (34%) from advantages that Black people do not have.
Opinion on the current national reckoning over the history of slavery and racism in the United States casts these divisions into stark relief: Among U.S. adults overall, 53% say increased public attention to that history is a good thing for society, while 26% say it is a bad thing and another 21% say it is neither good nor bad.
The survey, conducted July 8-18 among U.S. adults on Pew Research Center’s American Trends Panel, finds a wide partisan divide in these opinions:
Just 25% of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents say greater attention to the history of slavery and racism is a good thing; far more (46%) view it negatively, while 29% see it as neither good nor bad.
Democrats and Democratic leaners – across racial and ethnic groups – express overwhelmingly positive views of increased attention to the topic (78% say it is good for society).
The survey also finds that half of all adults say “a lot” more needs to be done to ensure equal rights for all Americans regardless of their race or ethnicity, while about as many say either that a little (34%) or nothing at all (15%) needs to be done.
Among other key findings from the report:
• There are wide racial and ethnic differences in these opinions: 75% of Black adults say heightened public attention to this topic is a good thing, with 54% saying it is “very good” for society. Majorities of Asian American (64%) and Hispanic (59%) adults also view this positively, though much smaller shares say it is a very good thing, compared with Black adults. Among White adults, however, fewer than half (46%) say greater attention to the history of slavery and racism in the U.S. is good for society, with just 24% saying it is very good.
• Americans are divided over how much progress has been made toward racial equality and how much more needs to be done. While most adults say the nation has achieved at least a little progress toward racial equality over the past 50 years, 48% say “a lot” of progress has been made. Similarly, while most say more needs to be done to bring about racial equality, half say a lot more needs to be done.
• Those who say a lot more needs to be done to ensure racial equality are split over how this can be achieved. About a quarter of the public (24%) says that while there are many inequities in U.S. laws and institutions, necessary changes can be made by working within the current systems, while roughly as many (25%) say that most laws and major institutions need to be completely rebuilt because they are fundamentally biased against some racial and ethnic groups.
• Nearly eight-in-ten Black adults say a lot more needs to be done to ensure equal rights for Americans of all racial and ethnic backgrounds. This includes 58% who say that in order to achieve this goal, most of the nation’s laws and major institutions need to be completely rebuilt because they are fundamentally biased.
• Smaller majorities of Hispanic (59%) and Asian American (56%) adults say a lot more needs to be done to achieve racial equality; just 30% of Hispanics and 24% of Asian Americans say laws and institutions are fundamentally biased and need to be completely rebuilt.
• Among White adults, 42% say a lot more needs to be done to ensure racial equality: 18% say most laws and institutions need to be completely rebuilt, while 24% say necessary changes can be made within the current systems.
• Republicans overwhelmingly think only a little (47%) or nothing (30%) needs to be done to ensure equal rights for all Americans, regardless of their racial or ethnic backgrounds. Just 22% say a lot more needs to be done, with only 7% saying that most major institutions need to be rebuilt because they are fundamentally biased.
• Democrats, by contrast, generally agree that a lot more needs to be done to achieve racial equality (74% say this). Yet Democrats are divided over whether this will require rebuilding most laws and institutions (40%) or can be achieved working through existing systems (33%).
• A 53% majority of Democrats say White people benefit from advantages in society that Black people do not have. While that is little changed in the past year, the share of Democrats expressing this view has increased 15 percentage points since 2016 (from 38% to 53%).
• There has been very little change in Republicans’ views over the past five years: Just 6% of Republicans now say White people benefit from advantages that Black people do not have. Nearly three-quarters of Republicans (73%) say White people get little benefit (39%) or no benefit at all (34%) from advantages that Black people do not have.
Read the entire Pew report here.
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