Race Is Central to Identity for Black Americans and Affects How They Connect With Each Other
Majority of Black adults say their ancestors were enslaved, but one-third are unsure
Embed
Post Infographics
- Race Is Central to Identity for Black Americans and Affects How They Connect With Each Other
- Most Black adults say being Black is very important to how they see themselves
- Non-Hispanic Black adults most likely to say being Black is extremely or very important to how they see themselves
- About half of Black adults say their fates are strongly linked with other Black people in the U.S.
- Black Americans who say being Black is important to them are more likely to feel connected to other Black people
- Black adults who say being Black is important to them are more likely to learn about their ancestors from relatives
- Younger Black adults less likely than their elders to feel informed about U.S. Black history
- Black Democrats more likely than Republicans to say what happens to other Black people in the U.S. will affect their own lives
- Half of Black adults say where they currently live is an important part of their identity
- Most Black adults say their racial background and ancestry are extremely or very important to how they see themselves
- With few differences, a majority of Black adults say their ancestry is extremely or very important to them
- Majorities of Black adults say their gender and sexuality are very important to them
- Black women are more likely than Black men to say their gender is very important to them
- The importance of being Black affects how much Black adults say they have in common with Black immigrants
- Few differences by education, income or party in how much Black adults say they have in common with foreign-born Black people
- About one-in-three Black adults say they have everything or most things in common with Black people who are poor
- Black adults with lower incomes more likely than those with higher incomes to say they have much in common with Black people who are poor
- Few differences among Black adults about commonality with Black people who identify as LGBTQ
- Black Americans who say being Black is important to them are more likely to feel commonality with Black people who are LGBTQ
- About half of Black adults say that most things that happen to Black people in the U.S. affect their own lives
- Black Democrats are more likely than Black Republicans to express linked fate with Black people in the U.S.
- One-in-three Black adults have used multiple methods to research their family history
- Black adults most likely to learn about their ancestors from speaking to family
- Black adults with bachelor’s degrees more likely to seek information about their family history
- Majority of Black adults say their ancestors were enslaved, but one-third are unsure
- Black adults differ by education and income in knowing if their ancestors were enslaved
- Black adults with higher incomes or bachelor’s degrees more likely to say they are informed about U.S. Black
- About half of Black adults say they are extremely or very informed about Black history in the U.S.
- Black adults most likely to learn about U.S. Black history from family and friends
- Half of Black Americans say that where they live is important to their personal identity
- Black women are more likely than Black men to say that where they live is important to their personal identity
- About four-in-ten Black Americans say they live in urban or suburban areas
- About one-in-five Black Americans say they live in a rural area
- About four-in-ten Black Americans rate their community as excellent or very good
- Black adults with college degrees or higher incomes more likely to rate their community as an excellent or very good as a place to live
- Black adults name violence, economic issues and housing as top three issues in their communities
- Top five community issues for Black adults by racial and ethnic group
- Roughly half of Black adults who named an issue say local community leaders should address that issue
- American Trends Panel recruitment surveys
- Invitation and reminder dates
- Weighting dimensions
- Unweighted sample sizes and the error attributable to sampling
- Final dispositions
- Cumulative response rate