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Business World Index
New Report:
Huge Disconnect Between Blacks, Whites
Misperceptions About Economics, Health,
Discrimination May Skew Politics, Fuel Conflicts
To View the
Full Report, "Post Racial? Americans and Race in the Age of
Obama"
Click Here.
A new analysis of some of the most definitive survey data
available finds a huge gulf in perceptions between black and
white Americans on a wide range of issues, a gulf that may
be contributing to America´s increasingly divisive politics.
"Post Racial? Americans and Race in the Age of Obama" was
written by Greenlining Institute Research Director Daniel
Byrd, Ph.D. and Media Relations Coordinator Bruce Mirken.
Among the key findings:
* While official statistics show that African Americans
lag far behind whites in income and wealth, a majority of
whites believe that blacks´ and whites´ incomes are about
the same. African Americans and Latinos have more accurate
perceptions. Whites and blacks have a similar disconnect
regarding African Americans' health status.
* Only 16 percent of whites believe there is a lot of
racial discrimination in America today, compared to a
majority of blacks and over a quarter of Latinos.
* 56 percent of blacks believe the federal government
treats whites better than African Americans, and virtually
none believe the government treats blacks better than
whites. In contrast, most whites think the government treats
blacks and whites about the same, one quarter believe the
government treats blacks better than whites, and only nine
percent think the government treats whites better.
* Whites higher in what is known as "racial resentment"
were more likely than other whites to perceive little
discrimination and were less likely to believe that blacks
make less money or are in worse health. Journalists can
preview the report online here.
"We hear lots of talk about America becoming a `post
-racial´ society, but these data show that we´re light-years
away from any such thing," Dr. Byrd said. "In some ways,
black and white Americans might be living on different
planets, and this has huge implications for our politics and
our nation.
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