ESSENCE.com survey of black men finds them more optimistic in Obama era

(October 13, 2009) Almost one year ago, the historic election of Barack Obama to the most powerful position on the globe shattered conventional wisdom about race, culture and identity at its core.  However, has anything really changed since the election?  ESSENCE.com today announced the results of its online survey, "African-American Men in the Age of Obama," pegged to the one-year anniversary of President Obama's election. 

The survey asked African-American men nationwide about how it feels to be Black and male in the Age of Obama, including questions about the perception of African-American men by all Americans, how they are portrayed in the media, whether or not they feel racial profiling has decreased since the election and more. 

The survey found that an overwhelming 91% of African-American men think President Obama represents them, but 73% think their quality of life has not changed since Obama won the general election.  Other results from ESSENCE.com's survey include:
 

- 87% think that now that there is a Black president, African-American men can attain the American Dream

- 67% now believe that African-American boys will have a better chance at academic success

- 44% have seen more African-American men spending time with their children since the election

- 68% feel the perception of African-American men by all Americans has not changed since the election

- 88% feel that African-American men have not been portrayed more fairly in the media since the election

- Only 9% of those surveyed think racial profiling of African-American men has decreased since the election

- 92% feel that African-American men have not received better treatment from the police since the election


"As part of ESSENCE's November issue feature, in which we talked to influential leaders like General Powell, Bishop Jakes, and Steve Harvey about the one-year anniversary of Obama's historic election, we also reached out to the general African-American male community to take their temperature on how life has or has not changed for them," says Patrik Henry Bass, Senior Editor, ESSENCE.

"It is telling that more than 90% of African-American men in our ESSENCE.com survey said they feel President Obama represents them.  It is perhaps even more telling that a majority of these men do not feel the dial has moved much for them since the election, but that they do feel tremendous hope for future generations of African-American boys."