Recent Civil Rights Protests are the Most Racially Diverse in American History

The first thing that struck me at several recent Black Lives Matter/George Floyd demonstrations in Virginia was the racial diversity of the protesters. Many of the participants were black, but more were white, Asian and Hispanic. Most were young, but there were a fair number of older Americans too.

The Pew Research Center did a massive survey in June to find out who was taking part in the protests nationally and they found the same kind of unprecedented diversity.

They interviewed more than 9000 Americans and found that 17% of those who say they attended a protest focused on race or racial equality in the last month were black, 22% Hispanic, 8% Asian, and 46% white. In other words, the civil rights movement in America today looks a lot like the nation.

One other statistic from the Pew research that is surprising; more protesters identified themselves as "suburban residents" than those that identified as "urban," 42-41%.

These numbers say something quite positive about the nation. America is speaking with one voice; more so than at any time in history we are united in opposing racial discrimination. That is something to celebrate.

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By: Don Lam & Curated Content