Blacks Consistently Express Lower Whites Equally How much confidence do you have in police officers in your community to treat blacks and whites equally?
Indeed, Pew Research Center polling consistently shows that blacks and whites have very different views about many aspects of race — from confidence in the police to progress on racial equality. For example, 48% of whites said a lot of progress has been made compared with 32% of blacks, according to a 2013 survey conducted just before the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King’s March on Washington. The divide widens further when the question is: How much more needs to be done in order to achieve racial equality? About eight-in-ten (79%) blacks say “a lot” compared with just 44% of whites.
When asked specifically about confidence in police to not use excessive force on suspects, 36% of whites express a great deal of confidence compared with 18% of blacks. Conversely, 40% of blacks express very little confidence in the police on this score compared with 11% of whites who see things this way. And when people of both races are asked about their confidence in police around the country to treat people of both races equally, 35% of whites express great confidence compared with 17% of blacks. About half (46%) of blacks express very little confidence compared with just 12% of whites. On this measure too, the disparate opinions of whites and blacks have remained consistent over time.
Blacks Consistently Express Lower  | Confidence in Police Express to Treat Blacks,  | Whites Equally  | How much confidence do you have in police  | officers in your community to treat blacks and  | whites equally?  | Whites  | 42  | 38  | 35  | 29%  | a great deal  | a fair amount  | Just some  | Very little  | 13  | 12  | 10  | 9  | 1995  | 2007 2009  | 2014  | Blacks  | 46 Very  | 43%  | Very little  | 34  | 31  | a fair amount  | Just some  | a great deal  | 17  | 14 14  | 10  | 2007 2009  | 2014  | 1995  | Source: The 1995 figures are from a NBC/Wall Street Journal  | survey  | PEW RESEARCH CENTER 