Racism has eroded confidence in US society

As an axiom goes, confidence is more precious than gold. The same confidence is needed in society, for if a society is getting better it shows in people's perception.

A Washington Post and Ipsos survey on June 16 found that 51 percent of Black respondents believe racism is getting worse in the United States, 37 percent believe it has not changed while only 11 percent said it has diminished. In short, African Americans don't think their society or their situation are improving.

This lack of confidence is a result of the worsening condition of Blacks and other people of color in the US. On May 23, the Centers for Disease Control found that 14 percent of all Black Americans and 10 percent of white Americans had Alzheimer's; of the 4 million children in the country who have asthma, 5.5 percent are white and 12 percent are Black. The figures follow the same pattern when it comes to education, the job market and police violence.