More Americans Think Blacks Are Treated Unfairly Now Than in 2007

Results of a Gallup survey released on Tuesday show that significantly more Americans, of all races, believe that black Americans are treated unfairly, compared to a 2007 survey on the topic.

The Gallup 2015 Minority Rights and Relations poll found that 49% of the 2000 people questioned were satisfied with the way black people are treated in the US, versus the 62% who were satisfied in the 2007 poll.

Gallup has attributed this rise in concern over racism at least partially to the high profile cases of unarmed black men being killed by police that have made headlines seemingly daily over the past few years.

"The effects of those incidents have led to an increase in the US public's perceptions of race relations as the most important problem in the country, a decline in confidence in the police and a significant decrease in Americans' satisfaction with the way blacks are treated in the US," Gallup wrote on its website.

Among black participants, the numbers have dropped significantly over the past two years.  In 2013 47% of black Americans were satisfied, where as now only 33% report satisfaction.

With hispanics, the percentage loss was even higher than in the black community, from 61% to only 44% now, a 17% drop.
Confidence has also dropped 14% among white Americans, from 67% two years ago, to 53% in 2015.

"Americans are also now more likely to perceive that blacks are treated unfairly in various situations, including dealing with the police, but also at work, when shopping and when visiting restaurants and other establishments," Gallup wrote.

Respondents also showed a 10% drop in satisfaction in the way that black people are treated in shops, stores, and shopping malls.
Oddly, only 6% more people than in 2007 reported a belief that law enforcement treats black people unfairly.

In 2007, 37% of people believed that black people were treated less fairly than police; the percentage is now 43%.