Kelly Hayes
While Tampa Bay residents view race relations within the region considerably more positive than in the U.S. as a whole, there are significant divides between the views of Black and White residents when addressing specific issues of race and racism, according to a new poll released by the Tampa Bay Partnership.
The Tampa Bay Racial Sentiment Survey, conducted by Downs & St. Germain Research of Tallahassee, surveyed 450 residents of Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco and Hernando counties from Oct. 2 through Oct. 5. The survey group is representative of the demographics within the community, and the has a 95% confidence level with a 5% margin of error.
In regard to the Tampa Bay community, 72% of respondents see race relations in the region as “generally good” — compared to just 29% of residents who had the same response when asked about the state of race relations across the U.S.
Fifty-four percent of respondents also said race relations in Tampa Bay are relatively stable, while 59% said race relations in the U.S. are getting worse.
As the survey moved to more specific issues, a divide became clear between White and Black residents.
While 57% of White residents believe it has become less acceptable for people to express racist or racially insensitive views in recent years, 75% of Black residents believe expressing these views has become more common.
Despite 67% of residents supporting the Black Lives Matter movement, support is much stronger among Black residents (91%) and nearly one-third, or 31%, of White residents are strongly opposed. Also, 46% of White residents have become less likely to support the movement as a result of the recent protests, while 63% of Black residents have become more likely.
Residents did agree on the idea of discriminatory practices in the justice system, with 71% saying police and the criminal justice system treat Black people less fairly than White people. And 62% of residents believe the deaths of Black people in encounters with the police in recent years are signs of a broader problem, rather than isolated incidents.
But Black residents are more likely to view issues of race and racial discrimination as pervasive, systemic issues present in relatively all elements of society, while White residents are more likely to view these issues as being situationally dependent.
Experiences between the groups vary widely with 80% of Black residents reporting having personally experienced racial discrimination, compared to just 20% of White residents. For Black residents, these experiences include being treated with suspicion (70%), being perceived as unintelligent (68%), being treated unfairly in hiring or promotions (60%) and being subjected to racial slurs or jokes (60%).
Only 7% of Black residents feel safer when they see a police officer, compared to 60% of White residents.
As far as solutions, a majority of residents support policies to create financing and procurement opportunities for Black business owners (75%), increase racial integration in schools (72%) and implement affirmative action policies to improve employment and educational opportunities for Black people (70%).
However, there is minimal support among White residents for financial reparations (30%), redirecting funding from police (38%) or removing Confederate statues and symbols from public spaces (40%).
With the 2020 presidential election approaching, surveyors found that 51% of residents believe issues of racism are very important in the upcoming election. And things are looking good for candidate Joe Biden with 53% of respondents believing the Democrat is the candidate most likely to improve race relations in the U.S.
