Only half of Americans say Black Americans will 'eventually' have equal rights to white Americans: Survey

Americans are growing less optimistic about race relations across the nation, with only 51 percent saying Black Americans will “eventually” have the same rights as white Americans, according to a new survey. 

The Pew Research Center examined Americans’ views on race, policing and Black Lives Matter five years after the murder of George Floyd and found that a staggering 49 percent of surveyed Americans doubt that Black people will ever have equal rights with white people. The number is up from 39 percent in 2020.

Though 61 percent of surveyed white adults say it is likely Black Americans will eventually have equal rights with white Americans, two-thirds of Black adults say that eventual equality with white people is not at all likely. 

Despite the murder of Floyd leading to worldwide protests and proposed legislation demanding police reform, 72 percent of surveyed adults say the increased focus on race and racial inequality did not lead to changes that improved the lives of Black people. 

Forty-three percent of adults say the country hasn't made enough progress on racial equality, a slight decrease from 49 percent in 2020. 

But among those who say the country hasn’t gone far enough, many pointed to the actions and rhetoric of President Trump, including his attempts to limit diversity, equity and inclusion programs. 

A majority of adults say Trump will make things worse. 

Only 28 percent of surveyed adults say Trump will make things better when it comes to issues related to race. 

The number fluctuates on the basis of party affiliation, with 53 percent of surveyed adults who identify as or lean Republican saying the president will make things better. 

Only 5 percent of Democrats agree. 

Overall, the survey found, Democrats are more likely than Republicans to feel angry when thinking about race in the U.S. Republicans are more likely to feel uninterested. 

At 69 percent, Black Americans were most likely to say there is not enough attention given to issues related to race. Forty-nine percent of surveyed white Americans say too much attention is given to issues related to race. 

The disparity is pronounced even more when split by party affiliation. 

Among adults who identify as or lean Democratic, only 17 percent say too much attention is given to issues related to race. But 66 percent of adults who identify as or lean Republican say too much attention is given to issues related to race. 

The Pew Research Center surveyed 5,097 adults Feb. 10-17. The survey is weighted to be representative of the U.S. adult population by gender, race, ethnicity, partisan affiliation, education and other factors.