After the killing of Trayvon Martin, one thing became very polarized: The country’s racial divide.
Following the unmasking of racial tension brought about by Trayvon Martin’s case, Newsweek and The Daily Beast polled Americans to gauge the stance of the racial barometer following the death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin by the hands of neighborhood watchman, George Zimmerman.
STORY: Post Trayvon America: Article Offers Whites Advice On Interactions With Blacks
The statistical findings may or may not come as a shock to readers, depending on which end of the racial spectrum they lie.
PHOTOS: Memories! Trayvon Martin’s Prom Picture
The poll results are reported below as per The Daily Beast:
Majorities of both whites (72%) and blacks (89%) believe the country is divided by race, the poll finds. But twice as many blacks (40%) as whites (20%) say it is very divided. And just 19 percent of whites say that racism is a big problem in America, vs. 60 percent of blacks.
In the survey, whites are divided over whether they think Martin’s death was racially motivated. Thirty-five percent of whites say Martin’s death was racially motivated, while 30 percent say Zimmerman acted in self-defense and 35 percent are not sure. African-Americans, however, are convinced it was racially motivated (80% vs. 2%).
Whites also are divided on the question of whether Martin was targeted because he was a young black man–41 percent say yes, while 34 percent say no and 21 percent are not sure. Blacks are convinced he was targeted because he was a young black man (85% vs. 4%).
There also is a significant split over President Obama’s handling of the Trayvon Martin controversy—with a majority (52%) of whites saying they disapprove of the way he has handled the shooting while only 38 percent approve.
Blacks say the opposite—with near unanimous (87% vs. 5%) approval for the president’s handling of the shooting.
Does it come as a shock that a country as filled with diversity as America is still battling racial division?
For more information on the survey, be sure to check out The Daily Beast.
PHOTO CREDIT: People of Color Organize
