Study shows blacks don't share similar views of world

NEW YORK — As a black man, John Bess says it has been important for him to know much about the white world, yet he says whites have not been so curious about his."We've always known what's happening in the white sector," says Bess, a 56-year-old consultant in New York City, "but they (whites) have no idea who we are, what we're about. … My mother may take one position and I take another and my brother takes another. You have to talk to the segments of our community."A study out Friday provides a nuanced portrait of black Americans' social views, consumer tastes and notions of identity, undermining the idea that most black Americans share a similar world view and life experience.MORE: Sweeping national study finds blacks in U.S. diverse, optimistic Conducted by Yankelovich, a consumer market research firm, and sponsored by Radio One Inc., the survey finds that blacks have made progress economically and educationally and that most have a positive outlook for the future. Nearly one-third make more than $50,000 a year and 47% own homes.Those surveyed also believe that blacks have a distinct history that makes solidarity important. Many also maintain a high level of distrust of the government, criminal justice system and mainstream media.The study should widen the lens through which other ethnic groups view black America, says Catherine Hughes, Radio One's founder. Perhaps most important, Hughes adds, it will give black Americans a more informed view of each other. The survey's findings can be viewed at www.BlackAmericaStudy.com.The study pinpointed 11 distinct segments within black america."There's a difference between the folks who are multigenerational descendants of slaves in the American South as opposed to people who are immigrants," says Ann Morning, an NYU professor who teaches the sociology of race and ethnicity. "To be a black person living in California is not the same as being a black person living in Georgia or New York."Byron Huart, 20, is a "connected black teen," one of several groups identified by the survey whose lives revolve around new technology. "My TV has been sitting in my room," says Huart, a computer science major at Bloomfield College in New Jersey who has a YouTube channel. "It's like a relic. I haven't turned it on in about three weeks."The survey found that the so-called digital divide that previously was leaving behind minorities and others without access to the Internet has narrowed greatly. About 68% of blacks spend time online, the survey found, compared with 70% of all Americans, according to other surveys."People who wouldn't necessarily have the Internet on a computer now have iPhones or can find other ways," says Tariq Muhammad, director of BlackVoices.com, the most visited African-American targeted website. "Accessibility has been a big factor in ensuring that communities of color are on line."  SOURCE:USTODAY.COM