Following a tragic week of fatal shootings in Minnesota, Louisiana and Dallas, a new
NBC News/Survey Monkey Poll shows that 52 percent of registered voters in America believe that racial discrimination against blacks is an extremely or very serious problem.
Breaking down the results by party affiliation, the poll shows that most Democrats believe that racial discrimination against blacks is a serious issue.
- 77 percent of Democrats believe racial discrimination against blacks is extremely or very serious.
- 51 percent of independent voters believe racial discrimination against blacks is extremely or very serious.
- 23 percent of Republicans believe racial discrimination against blacks is extremely or very serious.
A plurality of Republicans, but not a majority, believes the opposite extreme, that racial discrimination against blacks is not a serious problem.
- 42 percent of Republicans believe that racial discrimination against blacks is not so serious or not at all serious.
- 24 percent of independent voters believe it’s not so serious or not at all.
- 4 percent of Democrats believe it’s not so serious or not at all serious.
The poll also addressed the Black Lives Matter movement, which seeks to draw attention to the dangers that the movement says black people in America are facing.
- 45 percent of voters say they approve of the Black Lives Matter movement.
- 42 percent say they do not approve of the Black Lives Matter movement.
The differences in opinion are more apparent in a breakdown of those who identify with a political party.
- 73 percent of Democrats approve of the Black Lives Matter movement.
- 42 percent of independent voters say they approve of the movement.
- 15 percent of Republicans approve of it.
As for those who disapprove of the movement, Republicans post similar numbers to Democrats who approve of it.
- 70 percent of Republicans disapprove of Black Lives Matter.
- 39 percent of independent voters disapprove of Black Lives Matter.
- 15 percent of Democrats disapprove of Black Lives Matter.
Some groups of voters said they don't know enough about the movement to express an opinion. 17 percent of independent voters said that, as did 14 percent of Republicans and 10 percent of Democrats.
A Pew Research Center poll in June found that racial divides exist between black people and white people in their views on racial discrimination.
Eighty-eight percent of black people who took the poll said the U.S. needs to make more changes for blacks to gain equal rights, but 42 percent believe the changes will happen. An almost equal number, 43 percent, believe the changes will never come.
Fifty-three percent of whites believe the country still has work to do on racial discrimination, and 11 percent of those believe that the changes will happen.
The NBC News|SurveyMonkey Weekly Election Tracking poll was conducted online July 4 through July 10, 2016 among a national sample of 7,869 adults who say they are registered to vote. Results have an error estimate of plus or minus 1.4 percentage points
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