Just 10 per cent of black Americans think the US has achieved all or most of the civil rights movement’s goals, 50 years after the death of leader Martin Luther King Jr.

A new poll, conducted six weeks before the anniversary of King's assassination, found Americans are still divided by race when it comes to the movement the Baptist minister helped lead.

Thirty-five per cent of whites surveyed by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs said that all or most of the civil rights movement’s goals have been achieved. Just 8 per cent of blacks agreed.

In fact, sixty-five per cent of blacks said race relations had deteriorated in the past year alone, compared to 45 per cent of whites.

More than half of all whites said a lot of progress has been made on reducing segregation in public life, compared to just under a quarter of blacks. And more than 40 per cent of whites thought there has been a lot of progress on equal representation in the media and in politics, compared to less than 15 per cent of blacks.

In pictures: Martin Luther King Jr's campaign for civil rights Show all 10 1 /10 In pictures: Martin Luther King Jr's campaign for civil rights In pictures: Martin Luther King Jr's campaign for civil rights 4510050.jpg Memories of a March and a Dream: Martin Luther King during the March on Washington, on 28 August 1963 AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Martin Luther King Jr's campaign for civil rights Martin Luther King and the March on Washington BBC In pictures: Martin Luther King Jr's campaign for civil rights martin-luther-king-6.jpg American president John F. Kennedy in the White House with leaders of the civil rights 'March on Washington' (left to right) Whitney Young, Dr Martin Luther King Getty Images In pictures: Martin Luther King Jr's campaign for civil rights martin-luther-king-7.jpg American civil rights campaigner Martin Luther King (1929 - 1968) arriving at London Airport. He is in England to be the chief speaker at a public meeting about colour prejudice and to appear on the BBC television programme 'Face To Face' Getty Images In pictures: Martin Luther King Jr's campaign for civil rights georgiamlk.jpg Martin Luther King Jr In pictures: Martin Luther King Jr's campaign for civil rights Picture: Library of Congress/ Wiki Commons In pictures: Martin Luther King Jr's campaign for civil rights martin-luther-king-8.jpg Civil rights Leaders hold hands as they lead a crowd of hundreds of thousands at the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, Washington DC Getty Images In pictures: Martin Luther King Jr's campaign for civil rights 08peoobi1.jpeg Height, far right, listens to Martin Luther King's 'I have a dream' speech in Washington in 1963 AP In pictures: Martin Luther King Jr's campaign for civil rights 4260367.jpg Beyond the 'us' and 'them' mentality: Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech in Washington DC in 1963 AP In pictures: Martin Luther King Jr's campaign for civil rights v2-MLKAFP.jpg Martin Luther King had been imprisoned for taking his campaign of non-violent protest to the streets of Birmingham, Alabama AFP/Getty Images

"I think [the civil rights movement] absolutely achieved its goals,” Grant Jay Walters of New York told the Associated Press. Mr Walters is white.

He added: “I do not think the civil rights movement can go in and change the hearts of men. There's still a lot of racism in the communities and I'm not sure how you can ever make that go away."

Stephanie Sutton, a black woman from Maryland, disagreed, saying things are "going on a quick downward spiral”.

"Inequality touches everything, from work, police, schools, education, income, houses,” she said.

Martin Luther King Jr.'s last speech before being assassinated, in 1968 in Memphis

Even on the subject of voting rights – an area where the largest number of people thought progress had been made – feelings were divided by race. Sixty-four percent of whites believed a lot of progress had been made on the subject, compared to just 34 per cent of blacks.

Americans agreed most when it came to the criminal justice system, with only 23 per cent of whites and 6 per cent of blacks saying there had been great progress in achieving equal treatment. Similarly, few Americans believed great progress had been made in fair treatment of blacks by police.

King was one of the most prominent leaders in the civil rights movement before he was shot and killed in 1968. Seven years before his death, he emphasised the importance of fighting for equal treatment, through all obstacles.