ITV poll finds 77 per cent of black people ‘have been racially abused’

An ITV survey carried out to mark three decades since the racist murder of Stephen Lawrence has found that the majority of black respondents have experienced racist abuse, while half have been discriminated in the workplace.

Over half of those polled from ethnic minorities (59%) said they had experienced racial abuse occasionally or regularly, with 77 per cent of black people being on the receiving end of abuse.

The survey for ITV's Stephen Lawrence: Has Britain Changed? which airs on Thursday at 8pm, also found the majority of black respondents said they had been asked 'where they are really from' or been misperceived as aggressive or a threat.

Stephen Lawrence racially motivated murder in 1993 led to a campaign for justice by his family ultimately leading to a public inquiry which branded the Metropolitan Police institutionally racist and brought about sweeping changes in the law and police practices.

It also found respondents from ethnic minority backgrounds are unconvinced that levels of racism have decreased in Britain during their lifetime, with 32 percent saying racism has increased during their lifetime, a total of 29 percent saying it has decreased and 23 percent that it has not changed much.

However, 39 per cent of white respondents said racism had decreased in their lifetimes and just 27 per cent said it had increased, with 24 per cent not seeing much change.

A total of 3,065 UK adults took part in the survey earlier this month including 1,563 white people and 1,502 from minority ethnic backgrounds, of whom 405 were black.

There was also a split in opinion among racial groups on whether or not the Black Lives Matter movement has advanced the cause for racial equality.

White people were most likely to think it has not (44 per cent), with 33 per cent saying it has, and 23 per cent who didn’t know.

People from minority ethnic backgrounds disagreed with 43 per cent saying it has advanced racial equality while 30 per cent said it has not and 27 per cent didn't know.

Black respondents more strongly felt it has (56%) with just 23 per cent who believe it has not, and 22 per cent who don’t know.

However, all racial groups agreed that education was a key step going forward and support increased education on British history, including around the empire.

In total, 68 percent of the overall population polled strongly or generally support this, split into 68 percent of white people, 68 percent of ethnic minority respondents and 78 percent of black people. The survey, carried out by Number Cruncher Politics on behalf of ITV, was based on an online poll of 3,065 UK residents between July 3 and 12.

White and ethnic minority subsamples were each independently weighted to the profiles of their respective subpopulations, from which nationally representative figures were derived based on the combined sample, weighted to representative proportions.

Stephen Lawrence: Has Britain Changed? is on ITV at 8pm on Thursday 16 July.