Still, the most enduring divisions in America are between blacks and whites, and the president will confront a huge perception gap between whites and blacks, as the O.J. Simpson trial so dramatically underscored. What sets black-white relations apart from relations among other ethnic groups is the historical experience of slavery, said Democratic pollster Stan Greenberg. The slave experience is unique and continually pushes blacks and whites apart. A Gallup Poll released Tuesday found major differences in perceptions about the racial climate, with blacks far more pessimistic than whites. While three in four white Americans said blacks in their community are treated the same as whites, only 49 percent of blacks agreed.
Whites see little problem when it comes to opportunities for blacks in jobs, education and housing.
Many blacks, meanwhile, continue to see racial discrimination as a fact of life. Blacks and whites also have vastly different views of the role government should play in addressing the effects of past and present discrimination. One in three whites think government should make special efforts to support minorities, while nearly six out of 10 blacks see the need for more government help, according to the Gallup survey. Aides to Clinton say he wants to make improved race relations part of his legacy. Many analysts and civil rights advocates applaud that goal.