Poll Uncovers Stark Racial Divide On Ferguson Decision

Published December 2, 2014 at 9:06 AM PST

This infographic from the ABC News/Washington Post poll shows a breakdown by race of how Americans feel about the grand jury decision and whether the federal government should bring civil rights charges against Officer Darren Wilson. (ABC News/Washington Post)

A new poll out today shows a deep racial divide in the way Americans view last week’s grand jury decision in Ferguson, Missouri.

The survey by ABC News and The Washington Post found 9 percent of blacks approve of the grand jury’s decision not to indict officer Darren Wilson in the shooting death of Michael Brown, compared to 58 percent of whites.

The poll comes as President Barack Obama navigates the complicated terrain of race relations in the United States. Yesterday he announced a plan to send 50,000 body cameras to police, and the president said he would restrict police use of military-style equipment.

ABC News political director Rick Klein joins Here & Now’s Jeremy Hobson to discuss the findings of the poll and what it says about racial divisions in the U.S.

Guest

Rick Klein, political director for ABC News. He tweets @rickklein.