Poll Confirms Split in Views on Race in America

By N. Jamiyla Chisholm Aug 22, 2019

Americans are divided along racial lines in how they view the legacy of slavery, the best way to achieve equity and the value they place on their own racial and ethnic identities, according to a new Pew Research Center survey published Tuesday (August 21).

Researchers used an interactive survey to ask 6,637 adults about their views on race relations, inequality and the country’s history. The tool allowed participants to see, in real-time, how their opinions compared with the rest of the nation. Overall, it found that Blacks and Whites are split on their feelings about if America has come far enough in the area of racial equity (37 percent and 78 percent, respectively), if the legacy of slavery still greatly impacts Black people today (yes from 59 percent for Black respondents versus 26 percent of Whites) and the influence that racial and ethnic background has on identity (74 percent Blacks said it’s key, compared to 15 percent of Whites).

Pew survey also found differences among Latinx respondents based on where they were born. Sixty-five percent of foreign-born respondents said their racial and ethnic background is “a key piece of their overall identity”; about half who were born in the United States agreed.

Take the “Who Shares Your Views On Race” quiz here.