Since The Great Recession, African Americans have been hit hard with fewer jobs, lower incomes and a stubbornly high unemployment rate. Despite the seeming economic troubles, a recent survey from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation finds that a majority of Blacks are positive about their situations and are satisfied with life overall.
The poll, released Tuesday by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Harvard School of Public Health, found that an astonishing 86 percent of African Americans said they were satisfied with their lives. The poll surveyed more than 1,000 African Americans, mostly in the south or in urban areas, and found that Blacks are in good spirits about their finances, dating lives, communities and other areas.
Sixty percent said they would achieve the American dream of financial security and homeownership, and 21 percent said they had already achieved it.
Many responses proved different from the same survey that was conducted in 2002.
Robert Blendon, Co-director of the study, said he realizes the results might be a bit surprising and contrary to what some economic forecast would say today. He believes that beneath the glaze of optimism there’s a great deal of nervousness and uncertainty.
Respondents are “satisfied with their lives, but there’s a lot of concern,” he said. “They’re very fearful of losing their jobs and very fearful of getting stuck with a very large medical bill if they get sick.”
But poll respondents showed a marked improvement on their feelings about health care. The number of those “very satisfied” with their health care nearly doubled, from 25 percent to 47, even though 20 percent of African Americans are uninsured.
When asked about financial stability the responses were split. Responses seemingly correlate with the quality of other things like food, schools and crime levels.
In the love department; 43 percent of black men said they were looking for long-term relationships while only 25 percent of black women said they were.
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