The survey from the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that slightly less than half of U.S. adults believe that black people face "a great deal" or "quite a bit" of discrimination in the United States.
That is a decline from the solid majority, 60-percent, who thought Black Americans faced high levels of discrimination in the spring of 2021. And the poll found that significant numbers of Americans also think diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, also known as DEI, are backfiring against the groups they're intended to help, including many people who belong to those groups.
Terris Todd serves as director of outreach and coalitions for the Project 21 Black Leadership Network. He is not surprised about the demise of DEI.
"Al Sharpton called it the new affirmative action, and look at how that actually did. It's really fighting racism with racism, and the reason why it's backfiring is because it's nonsensical,” Todd informs.
He explains that when a program like diversity, equity, and inclusion comes out, who doesn’t want it?
“It sounds good on the surface, but when you start peeling that onion back or you start looking behind the curtain, you find that it hasn't really benefited blacks at all," says Todd.
Todd says he is encouraged with the results of the poll.
"We've improved, and that's the beauty of our nation, right? That's the beauty of the Constitution. We are striving to be a more perfect union. And the beauty of our Constitution, it allows us to do that. And so, I would say we're trending in the right direction.
