It's no secret that how Americans feel about NFL players kneeling during the national anthem breaks sharply along racial lines, but a recent study shows that division might be even greater than many expect.
The study by University of Texas at Dallas researchers found 90 percent of black college students support players kneeling during the national anthem as a form of protest. And all of the black students surveyed said players should not be punished by the NFL for kneeling.
By contrast, only 38 percent of non-black respondents believe kneeling during the anthem is appropriate.
Meanwhile, less than a third (29 percent) of non-black respondents agreed with the 100 percent of black students who said NFL owners shouldn't punish protesters.
The study, published last week online in the academic journal Deviant Behavior, involved 299 undergraduate students surveyed in September.
One of the study's co-authors, UT-Dallas criminology professor Alex Piquero, called the results "striking."
“Our findings point to a realistic yet potentially disturbing racial schism that exists in America today regarding anthem protests," Piquero said in a UT-Dallas release.
Among the study's other findings, both black and white respondents were less supportive of sitting during the anthem as a form of protest, with 73 percent of blacks and 22 percent of whites agreeing it is appropriate.
The study also found support for players who raise fists in the air mirrors the support for kneeling, with 88 percent of blacks supporting the raised fist, vs. 32 percent of whites.