Public opinion on the killing of Trayvon Martin: A test of the racial gradient thesis

The purpose of this study was to examine the role of race in explaining perceived criminal injustice through an examination of the Trayvon Martin shooting. The study was grounded in the racial gradient thesis. We utilized the 2012 USA Today/Gallup Poll data of a nationally representative sample of more than 2000 respondents. The sample included African-Americans, Hispanics, and Whites. African-Americans were the racial group most likely to believe that criminal injustice surrounded the Trayvon Martin shooting. Hispanics generally perceived more criminal injustice than Whites regarding the shooting, though this difference was not always statistically significant. Past mistreatment of minorities likely explained much of the differences in perceptions.