Black Americans are the strongest proponents of shared democratic goods despite systemic harms

Evidence

No one cherishes freedom more than those who have not had it. And to this day, Black Americans, more than any other group, embrace the democratic ideals of a common good. We are the most likely to support programs like universal healthcare and a higher minimum wage and to oppose programs that harm the most vulnerable. For instance, Black Americans suffer the most from violent crime, yet we are the group most strongly opposed to capital punishment. Our unemployment rate is nearly twice that of white Americans, yet we are still the most likely of all groups to say that this nation should take in refugees who others claim will be a drain on American institutions. — Nikole Hannah-Jones et al., The 1619 Project, 164

Categorization

• QUESTION: The claim that Black Americans are most opposed to capital punishment despite suffering most from violent crime is a falsifiable data point worth verifying against polling sources.
• SHARE: The paradox — Black Americans most affected by violent crime yet most opposed to capital punishment — is a compact, surprising data point for one specific policy-minded reader.