Poll: Majority Say Racism Against Black People ‘Widespread’ in the U.S.

A majority of Americans believe racism against black people is “widespread” in the United States, a Gallup survey released Friday found.

The survey showed 64 percent of U.S. adults expressing the belief that racism against black people is widespread across the nation, representing a 13 percent uptick from the 51 percent who said the same in 2009 during the first year of Barack Obama’s presidency. That number has continued to increase in the years following, reaching 60 percent in 2015 and 61 percent in 2016.

Eighty-four percent of non-Hispanic black adults say racism against black people is widespread in the country, compared to 72 percent of Hispanic adults and 59 percent of non-Hispanic white adults.

All the while, a rising number of Americans believe civil rights for black adults have “greatly or somewhat” improved, growing from 59 percent in 2020 to 69 percent in 2021.

Per the survey:

Those who say civil rights have improved today are far more likely to say they have “somewhat improved” (44%) than to say they have “greatly improved” (25%). In most years before 2020, the two responses were more evenly split. In 2011, when opinions about Black adults’ civil rights were most positive, 50% said conditions had greatly improved and 39% somewhat improved.

Both Black and White adults are modestly more positive about progress for Black people’s civil rights this year than a year ago. Seventy percent of White adults — up from 65% — and 57% of Black adults — up from 52% — believe civil rights for Black people have improved.

The survey, taken June 1-July 5, 2021, among 1,381 adults, has a margin of error of +/- 3 percent.

The poll’s findings coincide with the radical left’s attempts to make Critical Race Theory (CRT) — a radical divisive ideology that places race and racism at the center point of history — a mainstay in public schools. A majority of voters, 52 percent, believe parents who oppose CRT should take action against its teaching.