Survey Paints Portrait of Black Women

The Washington Post is reporting today on a nationwide survey of black women it conducted in partnership with the Kaiser Family Foundation. The study included only 800 women, but given the huge range of experiences of people who share the same race and gender in this country, we couldn't be any less surprised that the results in categories such as self-esteem, views on romantic relationships, economic stability and others were characterized as "complex."

From the Washington Post:

[A] complex portrait emerges of black women who feel confident but vulnerable, who have high self-esteem and see physical beauty as important, who find career success more vital to them than marriage. The survey, which includes interviews with more than 800 black women, represents the most extensive exploration of the lives and views of African American women in decades.

Religion is essential to most black women’s lives; being in a romantic relationship is not, the poll shows. Nearly three-quarters of African American women say now is a good time to be a black woman in America, and yet a similar proportion worry about having enough money to pay their bills. Half of black women surveyed call racism a “big problem” in the country; nearly half worry about being discriminated against. Eighty-five percent say they are satisfied with their own lives, but one-fifth say they are often treated with less respect than other people . . .

Read more at the Washington Post.

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