Race differences in support for anti-racism policies: Endorsements of anti-black and anti-white stereotypes

Introduction: Support for anti-racism policies such as mandatory diversity training and affirmative action varies by race. Research in the racial resentment and symbolic racism traditions focuses on whites’ endorsements of stereotypes that blame blacks for their unequal position in society, causing whites to be less supportive of anti-racism policies. Systemic racism theory suggests an additional hypothesis: People who believe whites are not doing enough to dismantle the systemically racist system that disadvantages blacks and other groups should be more supportive of anti-racism policies. Methods: We examine both hypotheses using data from a national YouGov survey of 1125 U.S. adults gathered in 2021. Results: Race differences in support for anti-racism policies are accounted for by race differences in endorsements of both anti-black and anti-white stereotypes. Conclusion: Future studies of support for anti-racism policies should consider the influence of both anti-black and anti-white stereotypes.