Study documents discrimination among Black Americans

Nearly one out of three African Americans report they have been unfairly stopped, searched and physically abused or threatened by the police, according to findings from a new U-M study.

The study of a national probability sample of more than 6,000 African Americans, Afro-Caribbeans and non-Hispanic whites is the most recent to detail different levels of major discrimination, racial attitudes, and exposure to everyday stress among Black and white Americans. It also shows that African Americans are much less likely today than they were in 1980 to believe that whites want to see them get a better break in life.

Headed by social psychologist James Jackson, the survey was funded by the National Institutes of Health and conducted between February 2001 and March 2003.

"These findings show that Black Americans today continue to face substantial levels of racism and discrimination that may well turn out to have direct effects on physical and mental health," says Jackson, senior research scientist at the Institute for Social Research.

African Americans, Afro-Caribbeans and whites also differ significantly in their experience of discrimination, James Jackson found.

In addition to differences in physical and mental health, economic and social resources and coping strategies, African Americans, Afro-Caribbeans and whites also differ significantly in their experience of discrimination, Jackson found.

Asked if they had ever been unfairly denied a promotion, 20.5 percent of African Americans, 17.1 percent of Afro-Caribbeans and 11.8 percent of whites said they had. Asked if they had ever been unfairly stopped, searched, questioned, physically threatened or abused by the police, 28.2 percent of African Americans, 27.5 percent of Afro-Caribbeans and 17 percent of whites said they had.

Nine percent of African Americans, 10.4 percent of Afro-Caribbeans and just 3.5 percent of whites said they had been unfairly prevented from moving into a neighborhood because the landlord or a realtor refused to sell or rent to them. And 10.5 percent of African Americans, 7.1 percent of Afro-Caribbeans and 3.7 percent of whites said they had been unfairly denied a bank loan.

To see charts with more information, visit http://www.umich.edu/news/index.html?Releases/2004/Jan04/nsaltables.

Related story: Black Americans: Study documents differences within community>

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