Lake Research Partners, the national survey represents 1,000 eligible voters nationwide with oversamples of Black, Indigenous, and people of color communities across the United States. This polling surfaced ideological clusters of voters that represent patterns in understanding race and race-based policies to end social inequality. To further understand the clusters identified through polling, PolicyLink partners with HIT Strategies to conduct focus groups to gather more qualitative insight to the attitudinal trends. The insights gleaned through this research intend to support broader understanding of attitude trends that impact national narratives.

The survey results and focus groups in this study illuminate the importance of getting the message of racial equity out to the private sector and government leaders. The attitudinal findings also demonstrate the importance of getting a message into the collective soul of America. Our country cannot make the bold and swift change necessary to rescue our democracy if we do not understand the severity of America’s ideological discord.

Knowing where we stand in terms of cultural attitudes will help inform our grassroots, corporate, and governmental strategies to liberate the nearly 100 million people living in poverty. Creating a new country that unlocks the potential in us all, requires that we face all barriers to national unity bravely. Race & Equity in America: Annual Attitudinal Research continues to be an essential step in acknowledging our nation’s harmful history and its current manifestations so that we are precise in the path we chart with collaborators to reach America’s highest and truly attainable democratic potential.