Big Shift in Attitudes toward Racial Equality

The percentage of Americans who think the United States needs to continue making changes to give Blacks equal rights with Whites leaped from 46 to 59 percent in the past year, according to a Pew Research Center survey.

The string of highly publicized, brutal encounters between police and Black citizens over the past year appears to have been a light bulb moment for non-Hispanic Whites. The percentage of non-Hispanic Whites who think more change is needed grew from just 39 percent in 2014 to the 53 percent majority in 2015. Among Hispanics, the number climbed from 54 to 70 percent. Most Blacks already felt more change was needed, and that figure grew from 79 to 86 percent.

Only 42 percent of Republicans think more change is necessary, but this is up from 27 percent a year earlier. Among Democrats, the figure climbed from 67 to 78 percent. The 55 percent majority of political independents now feel more change is needed, up from 42 percent in 2014.

Source: Pew Research Center, Across Racial Lines, More Say Nation Needs to Make Changes to Achieve Racial Equality