A recent study by the Pew Research Center sheds light on why many Black Americans harbor deep mistrust towards various U.S. institutions, such as policing, media, and the political system.
This comprehensive survey, conducted last September, included responses from 4,736 Black, multiracial Black, non-Hispanic, and Black and Hispanic individuals from across the United States.
The study delves into the community’s perceptions of conspiracy theories and their views on success and failure compared to white Americans. It defines conspiracy theories as beliefs about the actions of U.S. institutions that deviate from their stated goals, suggesting that these beliefs stem from a long history of racist policies negatively impacting Black communities.
The Pew researchers found that a significant number of Black Americans hold conspiratorial beliefs regarding pivotal institutions. More than 8 in 10 respondents supported the statement that “Black people are more likely to be incarcerated because prisons want to make money on the backs of Black people.” Additionally, more than 6 in 10 Black Americans believe that institutions like the police, the criminal justice system, and the economic system are structured to disadvantage Black people.
Senior Pew researcher and study author Kiana Cox said, “There are anecdotal conversations among Black people about the system, the Man, the invisible hand, the agenda that is set out to create a situation where Black people can’t advance,” Cox continued, “So, we wanted to explore that. We also wanted to figure out how many Black people are familiar with these narratives about the system being designed for their failure and how many Black people believe them.”
The mistrust is not unfounded. Historical events such as the Tuskegee syphilis experiment and the exclusion of Black Americans from New Deal policies that primarily benefited white Americans serve as stark reminders of systemic racism.
Political science professor Tasha Philpot of the University of Texas at Austin, who studies political psychology among Black Americans, noted, “When you have a history of American institutions actually conspiring against Black people, it’s not so hard to believe that anything else would also be true.”
The study’s findings also highlight ongoing disparities. For instance, in 2022, Black individuals constituted 32% of sentenced state and federal prisoners despite being only 12% of the U.S. population, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics. This overrepresentation underscores the persistent structural inequalities faced by Black Americans.
The research also explored the emotional and psychological impact of discrimination on Black Americans. Among those who reported experiencing discrimination, three-quarters felt that the system was designed to keep them down. The emotions ranged from anger (76%) to worry about safety (53%) and depression (41%).
Philpot summed up the pervasive sentiment by saying, “It’s not really a conspiracy theory if it’s true,” reflecting the real experiences and historical context that validate these beliefs.
The Pew Research Center’s study provides valuable insights into the deep-seated mistrust many Black Americans have towards government institutions.
This distrust is rooted in both historical and contemporary experiences of systemic racism, which unfortunately, continue to shape the views and the lived realities of Black Americans.
