38% Say Race Relations Are Poor in America

Publication Date: 02/18/2026 5:00 AM CST

38% Say Race Relations Are Poor in America

Publication: 02/18/2026 5:00 AM CST

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Thirty-eight percent (38%) rate race relations as Poor, an 8-point increase from last May 2025.
- Still, about one third (31%) of voters rate race relations in America as Good or Excellent.
- By a margin of 60% to 16%, Democrats rate race relations as Poor.
- Taking a more optimistic view, 49% of Republicans rate race relations as Good or Excellent.
- More Hispanic voters (51%) than Black voters (42%) rate race relations as Poor.
Down 5 points from last May 2025, 66% say race relations are better than they were in the 1960s.
- Conversely, 26% disagree and think race relations are worse now, up 5 points from last May.
- A large majority (83%) of Republicans say race relations are better now than in the 1960s, but only 51% of Democrats agree.
Looking forward to 20 years from now, 63% say race relations will be better.
- One in 5 (19%) say relations will be worse.
- Both parties are fairly optimistic, with 69% of Republicans and 59% of Democrats saying race relations will be better in 20 years.
A majority (73%) of voters say the most appropriate way to teach U.S. history is that America was founded on the ideals of freedom, equality, and self-governance. They believe our nation has a tragic history of racial injustice, but we have made and continue to make progress.
- Most Republicans (86%) and Democrats (63%) agree.
A minority of voters (20%) say that the appropriate way to teach U.S. history is to say that America was founded on the ideas of racial oppression and white supremacy. They believe we must recognize that the founders of our nation were racist and reject the system of government they created.
- Black voters are split: 46% say America was founded on the ideas of racial oppression and white supremacy, but 49% say America was founded on the ideals of freedom, equality, and self-governance.

This data is from a Napolitan News Service survey of 1,000 Registered Voters conducted online by Scott Rasmussen, February 11-12, 2026. RMG Research, Inc., conducted the field work for the survey. It has a margin of error of +/- 3.1.