Race in America is something that has existed since the beginning of this country’s founding, but it’s also a subject matter that for years, most people refuse to address in regards to discrimination.
Two years ago the Indianapolis Recorder and the Indianapolis Star newspapers joined forces to commission a poll that sought to foster a better understanding between Blacks and whites in hopes of improving race relations in the city. The Recorder/Star poll showed significant differences in the way Blacks and whites felt about certain subject matter including politics, economics and education.
What the Star and Recorder knew then (and what is even more confirmed now) is that our poll conducted by Selzer & Co. of Des Moines Iowa embarked on the next big discussion in America.
One of the main objectives of this collaboration was to institute a dialogue about the issue of race. We wanted to get people from both races talking about the differences each felt. Once the conversations started, we hoped that each group would have a better understanding of the other and eventually race relations would improve in our city. We did this almost two years ago to the date and now, with the high probability of Barack Obama becoming the United States’ first Black president, our goal of instituting a dialogue has come to fruition on a scale larger than we initially hoped.
The Associated Press and Yahoo News recently conducted their own poll and released its findings earlier this week. The poll shows tremendous gaps between Blacks and whites over racial discrimination. As were my feelings two years ago, I’m not totally surprised by the results. Here’s my take on a few of the AP-Yahoo News poll findings:
Discrimination against Blacks
When asked “how much discrimination against Blacks” exists, only 10 percent of whites said “a lot,” while 57 percent of Blacks had the same response. This alarming and starkly different perception shows how some whites are completely oblivious to the discriminatory acts many Blacks encounter on a day-to-day basis.
Whites’ impact on American politics
Almost 75 percent of Blacks said whites have too much influence in American politics, while only 12 percent of whites agreed. This finding was particularly interesting given Obama’s presidential campaign. If what Blacks feel is true, this finding says that if Obama is able to convince whites he’s the best candidate for president, he’ll most likely win. On the other hand, if Obama fails to sway the majority of white voters, he could quite possibly lose the election.
Blacks feel more admiration for whites
Seventy percent of Blacks have felt admiration for whites “very” or “extremely” often, while one in five whites feel the same way about Blacks. What exactly does this suggest? Does it mean Blacks are more willing to accept whites than whites are to accept us? Does it mean that whites don’t feel that Blacks are admirable? Or does it mean that there aren’t enough effective Black leaders or role models for us to admire? Perhaps it means all of the above.
Even though some think Blacks are lazy, whites are still willing to vote for Obama
The AP-Yahoo News poll showed that many whites who think most Blacks are “somewhat lazy, violent or boastful” are still willing and even eager to vote for Obama over Republican presidential candidate John McCain. Perhaps this finding is one of the most sincere because it shows how tired whites are of the old guard.
The whites who support Obama are doing so because of his skill
The finding shows that 25 percent of white Democrats attributed at least two negative descriptions to Blacks, however 75 percent said they would vote for Obama. Basically whites are voting for Obama because of his individual qualifications as opposed to their views on Blacks.
Polls such as the Recorder-Star partnership and even the AP-Yahoo News collaboration take a step towards a better understanding. However, until the latter poll was initiated, social scientists failed to closely examine racial sentiments. That in itself was surprising because of the obvious discrimination that exists in America. It wasn’t surprising for that very same reason. Even with extensive polls done by the most qualified companies and scientists, it’s still very difficult to measure the progression, or lack thereof in race relations…perhaps only time will tell.
