“We wanted to know in detail who we are, what we want and where we are going,” Mr. Liggins said.

What is Black America today?
The average household of those surveyed has three people in it, half of whom live in a single family home, one-third in apartments, one-third in the suburbs and half in cities. Among 29 to 74 year-olds, one-third are married. 61 percent of Black Americans are parents, five percent of 13 to 17 year-olds are parents, and half of all parents are single parents.

From an educational and economic standpoint, 34 percent of those surveyed who are 18 or older have some college or a two-year degree, 21 percent have a BA or higher, 40 percent have an annual income under $25,000 (20 percent of whom are retired), and one third more than $50,000.

The digital divide has faded. 68 percent of those surveyed are online (compared to 71 percent of all Americans), and two-thirds of them shop online. Among Black teens, over 90 percent are online. Blacks who live in the south are least likely to be online (63
percent).

Black identity remains strong across all age and economic groups. While 56 percent of those surveyed have “all” or “almost” all Black friends, only 30 percent said they prefer being around people of the same race. Black solidarity too is strong across all groups, with 88 percent saying they have enormous respect for the opinions of their elders (84 percent among teens). While 71 percent overall said they believe Blacks need to stick together to achieve gains for their community, only 54 percent of teens concurred.  Discrimination remains a very real part of Black life in America. While 24 percent said they had been personally discriminated against in the past three months, 82 percent said they believe it is “important for parents to prepare their children for prejudice.” 67 percent overall said they believe the history of slavery is a key way in which Blacks are different from other groups, but one-third also say that too much emphasis is put on the oppression of Blacks.