Americans have mixed views of the long-term effects of increased focus on racial inequality

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October 5, 2020

Amid National Reckoning, Americans Divided on Whether Increased Focus on Race Will Lead to Major Policy Change

Americans have mixed views of the long-term effects of increased focus on racial inequality

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Americans have mixed views of the long-term effects of increased focus on racial inequality

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Amid National Reckoning, Americans Divided on Whether Increased Focus on Race Will Lead to Major Policy Change
Most Black adults say they’ve taken steps to educate themselves on history of racial inequality and to support minority-owned businesses
Growing share of Black and Hispanic adults say the country hasn’t made enough progress on racial equality
Among those who say the country hasn’t made enough progress on racial equality, no clear consensus on most effective measures to take
About a third of Americans say increased focus on race represents a major change
About half of the public says focus on racial issues will result in policy and societal changes
Black adults paying more attention to issues of racial equality than White, Hispanic or Asian adults
About half of Americans say they’ve been paying more attention to issues of race in recent months
A majority of Americans say at least some of their conversations about race cross racial boundaries
Black adults are more likely than other racial or ethnic groups to say they’ve done a lot recently to educate themselves about racial inequality
About two-thirds of Black adults say they’ve supported minority-owned businesses in recent months
A majority say at least some of their friends, family have taken to social media to express opposition to racism or inequality
Mix of motives seen for posting about opposition to racism on social media
Younger adults more likely to say their friends or family posting about opposition to racism on social media are motivated by social pressure
About half of U.S. adults say it’s very important for people to educate themselves about the history of racial inequality in the country
About half of Americans now say country hasn’t made enough progress on racial equality for Black people
Most Black adults who say the country hasn’t made enough progress on racial equality are skeptical that it will
Black adults who say the country hasn’t made enough progress on racial equality are more likely than their White and Hispanic counterparts to view several measures as very effective in reducing inequality
Republicans are more likely than Democrats to cite ‘colorblindness’ as doing a lot to reduce racial inequality
Majorities of Americans say being Black, Hispanic puts people at a disadvantage in our society
Growing shares of Black adults say being White helps, being Black hurts people’s ability to get ahead
Views of how Black people are treated vary widely across racial and ethnic groups
Americans are more likely now than in 2019 to say Black people are treated less fairly when seeking medical treatment
Large shares of Black adults and White Democrats say people overlooking discrimination is a bigger problem than people seeing it where it doesn’t exist
About three-quarters of Black adults say not enough attention is paid to race

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ABOUT PEW RESEARCH CENTER Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research. Pew Research Center does not take policy positions. It is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts.

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