From police to parole, black and white Americans differ widely in their views of criminal justice system
Attitudes vary considerably by race on issues including crime, policing, the death penalty, parole decisions and voting rights.
Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World
Read our research on:
Racial Bias & Discrimination
All
Racial Bias & Discrimination
Publications
-
-
Americans See Advantages and Challenges in Country’s Growing Racial and Ethnic Diversity
Most value racial and ethnic diversity in the workplace, but few want employers to consider race or ethnicity in hiring and promotion decisions.
-
In South Africa, racial divisions and pessimism about democracy loom over elections
Many South Africans are dissatisfied with the state of their democracy. Confidence in some civic institutions declined from 1990 to 2013.
-
For black Americans, experiences of racial discrimination vary by education level, gender
Certain black Americans – particularly those who are college educated or male – are more likely to say they’ve faced certain situations because of their race.
-
The gap between the number of blacks and whites in prison is shrinking
Blacks have long outnumbered whites in U.S. prisons. But a significant decline in the number of black prisoners has narrowed the gap.
-
Key findings on Americans’ views of race in 2019
Many Americans say the country hasn’t gone far enough in giving black people equal rights with whites. Most believe slavery continues to impact black people’s status.
-
Race in America 2019
Most Americans (65%) – including majorities across racial and ethnic groups – say it has become more common for people to express racist or racially insensitive views since Trump was elected president.
-
About a third of Americans say blackface in a Halloween costume is acceptable at least sometimes
While a slight majority of Americans think it is generally unacceptable to use blackface in a Halloween costume, about one-in-three say it is acceptable at least sometimes.
-
Newsroom employees are less diverse than U.S. workers overall
Newsroom employees are more likely to be white and male than U.S. workers overall. There are signs, though, of a turning tide: Younger newsroom employees show greater racial, ethnic and gender diversity than their older colleagues, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data.
-
More Latinos Have Serious Concerns About Their Place in America Under Trump
About half of U.S. Latinos say the situation for Hispanics in the U.S. has worsened over the past year, and a majority say they worry that they or someone they know could be deported.
