Black/White Relations in the United States - 1997

GALLUP NEWS SERVICE

In a press conference held today in Washington, D.C., The Gallup Organization of Princeton, New Jersey presented findings from a comprehensive study of the attitudes of black and white Americans. Conducted by the Gallup Poll Social Audit program, the study updates trends in attitudes and behavior and also provides additional measurements from which to chart future progress or changes in black/white relations.

Findings Show Persistent Gaps In Perceptions of Blacks & Whites, Though With Substantial Improvements Over Time
Based on interviews with 3036 Americans including 1680 whites and 1269 blacks, the study reveals a complex state of affairs among blacks and whites. Despite persistent gaps between black's and white's attitudes and perceptions of the state of race relations, there is much evidence of improvement over the past several decades.

Divergence
There are large differences in the perceptions of blacks and whites about the status of race relations in this country today. Whites are much more likely than blacks to say that blacks are treated equally in local communities (76% compared to 49%), that blacks are not treated less fairly than whites in a variety of everyday interactions and settings, and that blacks have equal opportunities for jobs, education, and housing.

Some of these results show racial gaps which are smaller than they were decades ago, but few of the gaps have narrowed in the most recent years.

Whites characterize themselves as having very little personal prejudice against blacks; blacks feel that whites have higher levels of racial prejudice than whites give themselves. This difference is softened somewhat by the acknowledgment by whites of higher levels of prejudice among "other" whites in the area where they live - levels comparable to those ascribed to whites by blacks.

There are also differences between blacks and whites in their views of the appropriate role of Government. The study reveals that blacks are twice as likely to say that the government should increase affirmative action programs as are whites, a plurality of whom want affirmative action programs reduced.

Convergence and Improvement
But the past decades have seen substantial improvement over time in black satisfaction with aspects of their personal life. The gaps between whites and blacks on several personal satisfaction measures have closed significantly over time. The table below presents the black - white gaps for 1963 (when Gallup first asked these questions) for comparison.

Much of the gaps that remain can be explained by differences not in race, but in differences between the races in socioeconomic status; some of the gaps disappear entirely when income and education of the samples of whites and blacks are taken into account.

The research also indicates substantial over-time change in the direction of more positive white attitudes towards blacks in specific racial situations. Whites, for example, are now much more willing than in previous decades to say they would vote for a qualified black candidate for president (93% currently, versus 35% in 1958), and significantly more likely to approve of interracial marriage (61% currently, compared with 4% in 1958). Whites also are much less likely now than in the past to object to scenarios involving sending children to predominantly black schools, or to live in integrated neighborhoods. The recent survey reveals that 18% of whites say they would move if blacks moved into their neighborhood in great numbers. This percentage was recorded at 80% in 1958, and at 53% as recently as 1978.

Cross-race Contact for Blacks and Whites
Asked a series of questions about the proportions of blacks and whites across specific settings, black Americans say they have high degrees of contact with whites in their neighborhoods and in the workplace, and tend to send their children to schools which are at least half white. For example, only about a fourth of black parents say they send their child to a school which is mostly or all black. Whites, on the other hand say that they tend to live, work, and send their child to school in environments which are mostly or all white.

Both blacks and whites are highly likely to worship only with members of their own race. Seven in ten of both races say that those they worship with are mostly or all of the same race as they are.

Experiences with Discrimination
The Gallup Poll Social Audit asked blacks to indicate whether they had experienced unfair treatment because of their race in a series of five settings over the 30 days prior to the interview date. Shopping was the situation in which the highest percentage of blacks experienced discrimination, while interactions with the police was the lowest. Young black males are especially likely to report discrimination, particularly while shopping and in terms of interaction with the police. About half of all blacks, however, said that they had been treated unfairly because of their race in at least one of the five settings over the last 30 days.

Views on the Future of Race Relations
Blacks and whites hold similar views about the future of black/white relations in the U.S. Asked whether they think that relations between blacks and whites will always be a problem for the U.S., or whether a solution will eventually be worked out, majorities of both races (54% of whites and 58% of Blacks) say "always a problem."

The Gallup Organization Commits To Providing Long Term, Objective Assessments
James K. Clifton, President and CEO of The Gallup Organization, states: "Our goal is to provide the nation with an independent, objective, statistically-sound 'audit' of race relations. Views of the state of race relations are too often influenced by narrow or topical issues, or on the inaccurate or biased views of special interest groups. The sole purpose of this social audit program is to scientifically assess the condition of black/white relations at given points in time, as accurately and objectively as possible."

This Gallup Poll Social Audit of Black/White Relations in the United States has been undertaken and funded entirely by the Gallup Organization. As Clifton notes, "The Gallup Organization, a privately-held, employee-owned corporation, is devoting $10,000,000 over the next decade to this program as its most important contribution to improving the health and well-being of the nation." Future surveys in this social audit series will track how these views change over time, and what Americans expect regarding race relations in the future.

Notes and Methodology
The 1997 Gallup Poll Social Audit on Black/White Relations is based on telephone interviews with 3,036 adults selected from households in the continental United States. The interviewing was conducted between January 4 and February 28, 1997. The survey design included an over-sampling of blacks. Of the total sample of interviews, 1,269 were conducted with respondents who identified themselves as black. Of the remaining 1,767 respondents, 1,680 identified themselves as white.

The margin of error for a percentage estimate derived from the total sample at the 95% confidence level can be estimated to be ±3. For percentages for whites only, the margin of error can be estimated to be ±3. For blacks, the margin of error can be estimated to be ±5.

Consistent with Gallup's tradition of independence and objectivity, data from the black/white social audit program will be made available to all interested parties, including the nation's leadership.

For a copy of the full report, or for further information concerning the study, please contact us.