In recent times, there has been a great deal of tension over racial discrimination and justice. The death of George Floyd sparked the Black Lives Matter movement and they have not lost momentum. The fundamental belief is that African-Americans have protested the same things since the 1800s and still nothing has changed. These protests have been met with much resistance from police as well as groups who don’t believe racism exists. Many claim Black Lives Matter is attempting to bring African-American superiority over other races. Recently a poll was conducted by NBC News and the Wall Street Journal on whether people believe that American society is racist. The poll questioned nine hundred registered voters.
Out of these nine hundred votes, 56% agreed that American society is in fact racist. Out of this group, the different demographics were also examined. Eighty percent of Democrats agreed with the statement, while only thirty percent of Republicans did. The lack of Republican votes who recognize racism is most likely due to the fact that the Republican interviewed said the group most likely to face discrimination is white Americans. However, Fifty-one percent of white people agreed with the idea, while 78 percent of African-American people agreed and 60 percent of Hispanic people did.
A majority of voters indicated that they supported the George Floyd protests with fifty-seven percent expressing their support. Although the question about confederate statues is much less one-sided. Fifty-one percent of voters indicated that they should be removed and forty-seven percent indicated they should be left where they are. The other two percent expressed that they should be moved to museums. The interesting part of the poll is when the participants were asked to explain where they believe racism comes from. Sixty-five percent of Black voters said racism is built-in to the system, while forty-five percent of white voters said it comes from racist individuals.
What Does All This Mean
The poll demonstrates that a majority of people in the United States believe there is a problem with racism. It is not a small minority of the country that feels discriminated against, people from all genders, races, and political parties can see the problem. Although it is somewhat curious why only thirty percent of republicans recognized the issue while eighty percent of Democrats did. This is due to the members that make up the parties. In 2016 seventy percent of African-Americans identified as democratic, while only three percent identified as Republican. With very few African-Americans in the republican party, it is easy for their issues to be overlooked.
This poll demonstrates the accomplishment of the Civil Rights Movements as well as the George Floyd Movement. It demonstrates that the pleas of African-Americans have been heard, but there is still a lot of work to do. These movements cannot stop until everyone sees the racism at play in the country. Until Presidents are no longer elected that remove rules ensuring equal housing for everyone. Until police officers are held accountable for the murders they commit and do not get a free pass because they claim to be frightened. Currently, African-Americans are seen as dangerous weapons and not people. Therefore until people can see that there are racist people and racist policies in the country the movements will not stop.
Written by Joseph Nelson
Sources:
Fox News: New poll shows majority of voters believe US society is racist
The Wall Street Journal: Majority of Voters Say U.S. Society Is Racist as Support Grows for Black Lives Matter
NBC News: Poll: More voters acknowledge symptoms of racism but disagree about its causes
Image Courtesy of Liz West’s Flickr Page
