For over 50 years, the Gallup Poll has been tracking Whites and Blacks attitudes about race in the United States. With events such as the death of Trayvon Martin and, more recently, of Michael Brown; they have caused a lot outcry about racial relations in the U.S.

Race Relations in the US in General

The chart above shows that over time, there has been a shift in attitude on race relations in the US between Whites and Blacks. In the 60's, more Blacks believed that a solution to the racial issues in the United States would eventually be worked out (70% compared to 53%). However, in 2013, Whites seemed to be more optimistic about racial relations in the United States than Blacks (58% compared to 48%). However, for both groups, there has been a considerable decrease in optimism overall. One thing that could explain this is how Blacks and Whites differ on their view of their life chances.

Can Blacks Get Jobs In Equal Proportions to Whites? (2013)

From the chart above, it is clear that Blacks do not believe that they have equal job opportunities in comparison to their White counterparts. When asked "Do you think that Blacks have as good a chance as Whites in your community to get any kind of job for which they are qualified, or don't you think they have as good a chance?" in 2013, more Whites thought that Blacks are discriminated against when it comes to job opportunities, while a majority of the Black respondents believe that they are still being discriminated against when it comes to getting a job. This shows that Whites and Blacks think differently when it comes to discrimination against Blacks in U.S.

Is American Justice System Biased Against Blacks?

Lastly, the chart above shows another point that Blacks and Whites have contrasting opinions about: The American justice system. When asked "is the American justice system biased against black people?" in 2013, the majority of Whites said no while the the majority of Blacks said yes. The graph above shows that the numbers are nearly equal in their opposites (Blacks: 68% said yes, 26% said no) (Whites: 69% said no, 25% said yes). All of this information works together to support the notion that Blacks tend to believe that they are discriminated against more often in the U.S. and are less optimistic when it comes to thinking that things will change.