Blacks divide along class lines (Majority Blame individual For Economic Failings)

LA Times ^ | 14 November 2007 | Maura Reynolds

[shrinkermd]

A majority of black Americans blame individual failings -- not racial prejudice -- for the lack of economic progress by lower-income African Americans, according to a survey released Tuesday -- a significant change in attitudes from the early 1990s.

At the same time, black college graduates say the values of middle-class African Americans are more closely aligned with those of middle-class whites than those of lower-income blacks, the poll by the nonpartisan Pew Research Center found.

And 40% of those surveyed said African Americans could no longer be viewed as a single community.

The report said that in 1994, 60% of African Americans believed racial prejudice was the main thing keeping blacks from succeeding economically. Only 33% blamed the individual. Though views on the issue have shifted over time, this was the first year that a majority of blacks, 53%, said individuals were responsible for their own condition.

At the same time, the survey found that most blacks believed racial prejudice was still a widespread problem in America.

Pew President said that about 60% of African Americans surveyed said blacks often faced discrimination when they applied for jobs or housing. Just 20% of whites agreed with the employment assessment of blacks and 27% with the housing.

One result of shifting views on individual responsibility may be changes in blacks' attitudes toward immigrants. In 1986, 74% of blacks said they would have more economic opportunities if there were fewer immigrants; today, 48% feel that way.

Most blacks and whites who participated in the poll agreed that immigrants tended to work harder at low-wage jobs than workers of their own groups.

On the topic of diverging values, 44% of blacks polled in 1986 said they saw greater differences created by class than by race. Today, that figure has grown to 61%.

[Dark Wing]

This is a real man bites dog story, considering the source.

[maxwellp]

I once worked for a large global corporation in NYC as a receptionist. One day a young black man showed up and asked for a job application. I gave him one and he sat near my desk, but seemed to have a problem filling out the application. He was neatly dressed and he shined his shoes to dazzle. Finally, I asked him if he any sort of a problem with the application and he told me he did not read well, nor write well. Something about this young man touched me and I told him I’d fill out the application for him. And I did. I asked him if he knew his way around NYC and he said “Yes”. I called the Personnel Dept. and asked for Kathy and she came over. Kathy was a delightful person and she spoke to him and found out he did not have a high school diploma and told him she might have a spot for him in our Communications Department where he would run around NYC delivering important papers to banks, etc. Kathy also told him he could go to school under our employee paid education plan. He was hired and took advantage of our employee paid education plan to the extent, after several years, he got his MBA To this day, I receive a Christmas card, as does Kathy, from a fine, young black man who was trying like all get out to get out of a bad situation. I think it was the shined shoes that got to me and the effort he was putting into his job searching.

[Flashman_at_the_charge]

What a great story, thanks for telling it.