A majority of Black Americans have lost trust in U.S. institutions, believing these systems were intentionally designed to hold them back. These findings come from a recent Pew Research Center report, which highlights widespread perceptions of unfair treatment within the nation’s key systems.
The report reveals that most Black Americans view U.S. institutions—including the prison, political, and economic systems—as racially biased. According to the study, 74% of Black respondents believe the prison system is structured to disadvantage them, while 67% hold similar views about the political system, and 65% about the economic system.
This deep-seated mistrust is rooted in a long history of racial injustice, including slavery, Jim Crow laws, and the rise of mass incarceration. These historical events, along with persistent racial disparities in income, wealth, education, and health outcomes, have shaped Black Americans’ skepticism toward U.S. institutions.
RELATED STORIES
The Pew study, conducted in September 2023, aimed to gauge how Black Americans perceive U.S. institutions and their impact on Black success. The survey included 4,736 Black adults, who were asked about their awareness and beliefs regarding systemic harm against Black people.
Respondents were first asked if they had heard statements about U.S. institutions intentionally or negligently harming Black people. They were then asked if they believed these harms continue to affect Black communities today.
Key Findings from the Survey
- 76% of Black adults believe that Black public officials are singled out for discrediting in ways that White public officials are not.
- 76% also say that police do little to prevent guns and drugs from flooding Black communities.
- 74% think that Black people are more likely to be incarcerated because prisons profit from their imprisonment.
- 67% believe businesses target luxury products at Black people to drive them into debt.
- 55% say secret, nonconsensual medical experiments, like the Tuskegee study, are still happening to Black people today.
- 55% believe the government encourages single motherhood to eliminate Black men from Black families.
- 51% think the government promotes birth control and abortion to reduce the Black population.
The survey also found that Black Americans who have experienced racial discrimination are more likely to believe that U.S. institutions intentionally or negligently harm Black people. Although there are modest differences in beliefs based on gender, education, family income, and political affiliation, majorities across various Black demographic subgroups are familiar with these narratives and believe they reflect ongoing realities.
Voices from the Survey
The report includes poignant testimonies from survey participants, offering personal insights into the deep mistrust many Black Americans feel:
- Low-Income Woman, Early 50s: “I believe there are strategic works, behind the scenes, that are being done to sabotage a Black person’s effort. … You could be on the road to success with nothing stopping you. But then, all it takes is one incident that was planned and plotted against you to destroy your life.”
- Young Adult Woman, Late 20s: “As Black people, we are always fighting some type of fight. … We always get to some type of height of success. And then there’s always something that takes us down. … There is always something in the way.”
- High-Income Man, Late 30s: “There are institutionalized things that are in place that one has always suspected, but because they are seemingly benign, you can’t really call them out on it. … I think [these things] are purposely built into society or industries to keep certain numbers down because of access to financial gain.”
- Republican Woman, Late 20s: “I trust the government to an extent, but when it comes to certain things, I don’t. For example, take the pandemic. They had all this help out there for people, but there were certain people that applied for help that just couldn’t get it and they were literally just struggling to get by. … I feel like us Black people are helped the least because we’ve always had the short end of the stick.”
The Pew report underscores the enduring mistrust that many Black Americans have toward U.S. institutions, rooted in both historical and contemporary experiences of racial inequality. As these findings reveal, this mistrust is pervasive, affecting how Black Americans perceive their chances for success within these systems.
