As the #MeToo/#TimesUp movement switches gears and heads into its next phase, a new survey has come out questioning white women's commitment to the work being done.
This latest Washington Post-ABC News poll shows a 14-point differential between white women and women of color when it comes to whether or not sexual assault/harassment in the workplace is a "serious problem" in America.
Since the last poll in October, the numbers have gone up but for white women, the numbers have not come close to that of women of color, despite recent accusers' stories from mostly white women.
For 86 percent of women of color, sexual harassment was a major issue. However, only 72 percent of white women found it to be an issue.
Last year, the #MeToo movement picked up steam after a slew of accusations against Hollywood movie producer Harvey Weinstein shook the entertainment industry to its core. Major actors like Kevin Spacey, Dustin Hoffman, James Franco, Casey Affleck, Bill Cosby and many others have been held accountable for lewd and inappropriate sexual behavior.
"Encouraged by news coverage and the #MeToo campaign on social media, more women have come forward, resulting in the resignations of several high-profile men in entertainment, the news media and politics," said Scott Clement, Polling Director. "In The Post–ABC poll, majorities of both nonwhite and white women expressed optimism that attention to the issue will create lasting change in the way society deals with harassment of women."
Women of color are not the only group that thinks the issue is a serious problem. Men of color polled higher than white men and white women. An estimated 74 percent — compared to 72 percent for white women and 63 percent for white men — thought that sexual harassment was a serious problem.
Looking deeper at the results, you can see that percentages further break down along racial lines. And white people ended up having the lowest percentage overall.
Hispanics polled in at 76 percent, black people polled in at 82 percent and white people polled in at 68 percent. Even though white feminist activists have been at the forefront, people of color, as shown in the poll, are the ones who truly believe in the cause. In the very beginning of the hashtag, the movement pushed aside Harlem-based activist and founder of the #MeToo movement Tarana Burke who created the movement more than a decade ago.