Social Justice Commons^™

I Can’T Breathe: Assessing The Role Of Racial Resentment And Racial Prejudice In Whites’ Feelings Toward Black Lives Matter, Emmitt Y. Riley Iii, Clarissa Peterson

Political Science Faculty publications

Since 2014, public opinion data suggests that whites have become more supportive of the Black Lives Movement. The recent murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor have prompted a national debate about the need to address systemic racism in policing within the United States. Recent studies have shown how racial resentment has spilled over into a wide range of political issues that are not associated with race; however, no current research examines how racial resentment might shape whites’ views toward Black Lives Matter. Employing the racial reaction theory and the 2016 American Election Study Survey, we hypothesize and confirm that …