|
|
Sweeping
National
Study finds Blacks in U.S. Diverse, Optimistic
 The digital divide between
blacks and whites is fast disappearing. The hip-hop generation, often
portrayed as rebellious, has tremendous respect for its elders.
Prejudice persists, but most blacks are optimistic about their future.
Those are among the findings of one of the largest surveys ever taken
of black Americans and to be released Friday.
"There's a
difference (between) articulating that we're not a monolithic community
and quantifying it," says Catherine Hughes, founder and board
chairwoman of Radio One, the largest radio broadcasting company in the
U.S. primarily targeting African Americans. "We really needed to take a
snapshot of the black community with all of its textures and nuances
and debunk the myth. … We wanted to quantify and qualify the
incredible diversity in our community."
FIND MORE STORIES IN: United States | Internet | African | People | New
York University | Pew Research Center | Radio One | Yankelovich |
Catherine Hughes
The survey of 3,400 African Americans taken in October and November
included teenagers and seniors. Respondents ranged in age from 13 to 74.
It also found 11 distinct segments within black America, linked by
interests and perspectives, including "connected black teens" who are
tech-savvy, optimistic and less familiar with the overt bigotry of the
past; "stretched black straddlers," who excessively worry about
everything from relationships to money; and the affluent "new middle
class" who are most likely to believe that challenges within black
communities can best be solved by blacks.
Other findings:
• 68% of those surveyed use the Internet. By contrast, a study by
the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press found that, as
of December, 70% of all Americans ages 18 and older — and 72% of
non-Hispanic whites — were online.
• Blacks are nearly evenly divided about what they prefer to be
called — 42% favor "black" and 44% favor "African American."
• 88% of respondents — and 84% of teenagers — have
tremendous respect for the opinions and desires of their elders.
• 24% say they had experienced bigotry personally within the past
three months, and 82% believe it is "important for parents to prepare
their children for prejudice."
• Many still deeply mistrust police, courts, government and mainstream media.
• 60% say "things are getting better for me," while more than half are positive about the future of the black community.
The survey was "first and foremost for us to understand ourselves," Hughes says. "Many things are going to be such eye-openers."
The optimism it found, even as those polled acknowledged continuing
racial inequities and personal struggles, is not necessarily a
contradiction, says Ann Morning, a New York University sociology
professor.
"People can be confident about the future because they're confident in
their own abilities to meet obstacles … or think things are
going in the right direction," she says. "The only thing that's
surprising really is that as a nation we've been so resistant to
recognizing diversity within the black community. … As the
nation becomes more diverse, we have to pay attention to blacks as
actors in this bigger mosaic."
Source: USA Today
Rate this Article:
Tell
Us What You Think.
|
|
|
Subscribe to Our RSS Feed