Our national survey of more than 1,000 Americans explored views on the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the importance of celebrating MLK Day and thoughts on improvements in racial equality.
Polling Firm: YouGov
Sample Size: n=1,000 US Adults (nationally representative)
Fieldwork Dates: December 22, 2022-January 5, 2023
Margin of Error: +/- 3.1 for US avg.
as many Republicans believe it is
important for Americans to observe MLK Day than Democrats think (73% vs 38%).
of Americans agree that racial equality has improved since the time of Dr. King, although Independents and Black Americans are less likely to say so compared to other groups.
is the most common word used to describe Dr. King.
More than half a century since his death, Americans across generations, race, and political ideology regard Dr. King as a brave leader and activist and agree that it’s important to observe MLK Day.
In our report, “Americans’ views of MLK Day,” 92% of Democrats, 82% of Independents and 73% of Republicans agreed that “it is important for Americans to observe MLK Day.” However, Democrats think only 38% of Republicans feel this way, significantly underestimating the importance that Republicans place on MLK Day.
Additionally, 86% of Republicans, 67% of Independents and 71% of Democrats agree that racial equality has “improved significantly since the time of Dr. Martin Luther King.” However, Republicans think only 45% of Democrats would agree, significantly underestimating Democrats’ willingness to recognize stories of success and improvements in racial equality since the time of Dr. King.
This resonates with our latest report “Defusing the History Wars” which found that Republicans and Democrats have a flawed and inaccurate perceptions of what the other thinks when it comes to American history. These perception gaps have potential to lead to situations where communities spend time fighting imagined enemies instead of grappling with the substance where there is actual conflict.
Explore the depth of our research at your fingertips. Get the complete insights by downloading the full report today.
What unites and divides Americans today? This newsletter takes a closer look at issues pressing on America’s social and political fabric and provides recommendations for how to strengthen ties to keep us bound together.
