Black Americans deeply concerned about the direction of the country, poll says

As President Biden is due to deliver his first State of the Union address, new polling data suggests that many Black Americans aren’t happy with the direction of the U.S. economy. 

The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies published results of a poll that found 65 percent of Black Americans rated the economy as just fair or poor, while 61 percent said their personal economic situations were also just fair or poor. The center polled 600 Black Americans between Feb. 12-15, ranging in age from 18 to 64. 

About 50 percent of Black Americans surveyed said they think things in the U.S. have gone seriously off track, while 45 percent indicated they think things are going in the right direction. 

A majority of Black Americans surveyed, 73 percent, agreed that up to $50,000 of student loan debt should be forgiven, while 76 percent agree with forgiving all student loan debt.