Americans hold complicated views around race and equality

June 15th- Ahead of Juneteenth, Americans express complex and often opposing views about race and equality:

• Just one in five believe that the criminal justice system treats all people equally
• Proximity and concern about COVID still looks different by race and ethnicity
• Many feel threatened or disadvantaged on the basis of their race

Pride and Father’s Day polling:

• Young Americans more likely to support companies promoting equality for LGBT+ people
• Americans are a little less likely to celebrate Father’s Day

Just one in five believe that the criminal justice system treats all people equally

A majority of Americans do not believe that the criminal justice system treats all people equally.

Nearly eight in ten Black Americans and white Democrats disagree that the courts and lawyers treat all equally. At the other end of the spectrum, just 29% of white Republicans disagree, pointing to a larger breakdown in opinion around issues of systemic equality, driven by race and partisanship.

For more on how Americans are responding to issues of race and identity against a backdrop of ongoing demographic change, look out for our new Ipsos point of view on Wednesday.

Proximity to COVID still looks different by race and ethnicity

At this point of the pandemic, eight in ten Americans, regardless of their racial or ethnic identity, know someone who has tested positive for the coronavirus, according to the Axios-Ipsos Coronavirus Index.

Though there is now little difference in knowing someone who has tested positive, Black and Hispanic Americans are still more likely to know someone who has died as a result of COVID-19, hinting at pandemic’s disproportionately harsh health impact on people of color.

Many feel threatened or disadvantaged on the basis of their race

Few Americans believe that their race gives them a leg up in life and many believe that their racial group is “under attack.”

A majority of white Americans feel that their white people are currently under attack in this country, but this masks pronounced partisan differences. White Republicans are significantly more likely to feel that white people in general are “under attack” (75%) compared to just 25% of white Democrats, according to Reuters/Ipsos polling.

Compared to four years ago, this sense of threat is heightened. In a 2017 Reuters/Ipsos survey conducted with the UVA Center for Politics, 39% agreed that white people are under attack and 55% agreed that racial minorities are under attack.

Correspondingly, a plurality of white people currently believe their race gives them an advantage, at 39%, according to Axios/Ipsos polling. On this point too opinion breaks down along partisan lines. Among white Democrats, 72% agree their race gives them an advantage compared to just 19% of white Republicans who believe the same.

Young Americans more likely to support companies promoting equality for LGBT+ people

Many Americans under the age of 35 (59%) support companies and brands taking an active role in promoting equality for LGBT+ people, 20-points ahead of their 50+ counterparts, Ipsos Global Advisor polling finds.

Americans between the ages of 50 and 74 are split between those who support companies taking this more active posture around conversations of LGBT rights and those who don’t. People in the 35 to 49 range align more closely with their younger peers.

Companies and brands can open themselves to criticism if their branding is inconsistent with other parts of their business. Recently, some companies took flack for voicing support during Pride month, while also donating to politicians that have been instrumental in dismantling legislation that would protect LGBT+ people.

Americans are a little less likely to celebrate Father’s Day

With Father’s Day coming up this weekend, Americans indicate that they are a little less likely to celebrate their fathers than their mothers.

Nearly one in three say they do not plan to celebrate Father’s Day, compared to the 19% who said they were not planning to celebrate Mother’s Day, according to earlier Ipsos polling. Fathers are also less likely to get gifts than mothers. One in five say they plan to get flowers or a present for Father’s Day, compared to 36% who were planning to get something for their mother or maternal figure.

With the country's reopening in full swing, Americans are a little less likely to be doing some pandemic friendly activities for Father's Day, like getting takeout, than they were for Mother's Day.