Poll: Blacks see economic, social conditions improving under Obama

(Special to the Trice Edney News Wire from Target Market News) – Robert L. Johnson, founder and chairman of The RLJ Companies and founder of Black Entertainment Television (BET), has announced the results of a national poll he commissioned from Zogby Analytics. The results reveal current African-American sentiment on a range of issues that include the state of national affairs, race relations, employment, and a variety of current political and social issues.

I commissioned this poll for a number of reasons,” said Johnson. “First, for African Americans, this country has experienced the most historic political event and that is the election and re-election of the first African-American president, Barack Obama. Because of this, I wanted to find out how African Americans today feel about Obama’s presidency and equally important, if they feel that their lives are better off having lived under the first four years of Obama and the prospect of an Obama Administration for the next four years,” he continued.

Second, the country has experienced the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression and African Americans have been the hardest hit. Today, African Americans continue to have double the rate of unemployment and less access to capital, and whereas, African Americans were once the largest ethnic minority group and the dominant minority political voice, they are now confronted with the growing political influence of the Hispanic population, which may directly impact competition for jobs and minority business opportunities,” he continued.

“Further, I wanted to create a discussion within the Black community and the broader community to bring to the forefront of public debate key issues of primary concern to African Americans. I am pleased to say that I am intrigued by the results of the poll and I believe better informed,” he noted.

The poll reveals that African Americans have an immense sense of pride in Barack Obama as President of the United States and he is unequivocally liked. He receives a 91 percent favorable rating. Seventy-two percent believe that President Obama’s election has helped them while only four percent believe his election has hurt them.

The poll was conducted by John Zogby and Zogby Analytics of 1002 randomly selected African-American adults polled by telephone and online survey. Among the highlights of the findings were these:

Considering your personal fin­ances, would you say you are better off, worse off, or about the same as you were four years ago? Better off — 30 percent; Worse off – 19 percent; About the same — 48 percent; Not sure – three percent.

One in three (30 percent) respondents consider their personal finances are better off now than they were four years ago and 19 percent are worse off. Just under half (48 percent) say their personal finances are about the same and three percent are not sure.

More generally, would you say that African Americans are better off, worse off or about the same as they were four years ago? Better off – 25 percent; Worse off – 21 percent; About the same – 44 percent; Not sure – 10 percent

A plurality (44 percent) say in general that African Americans are about the same as they were four years ago, while respondents are closely divided between better off (25 percent) and worse off (21 percent). One in 10 are not sure.

Would you say that racial attitudes among non-African Americans toward African Americans are better, worse, or about the same since Barack Obama has become President? Better off – 19 percent; Worse off – 25 percent; About the same – 48 percent; Not sure – nine percent

Just under half (48 percent) say that they think that racial attitudes among non-African Americans towards African- Americans remains about the same as they were before Obama became President. One in four (25 percent) believe racial attitudes are worse and 19 percent think they are better.

This article originally published in the April 15, 2013 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.