The Disproportionate Overrepresentation of Minority Youth in ...

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brought up if you strive for what you want you’re going to get it sooner or later.”
Opportunities
The youth were asked whether they felt blacks had as equal job opportunities as
whites (Tables 1, 2). Eighty—three percent of whites responded that a black can get as
good a job as a white. Black youth did not respond as strongly, only 63 percent indicated
equal job opportunities were available for all.
When the youth were asked whether blacks have equal opportunities in the
interviews, both races felt that blacks did not have as equal opportunities as those
available to whites. This was conveyed through the topic of job competition: more blacks
believed that a white would be hired first. A black female states, “Sometimes it seems
like if you go for a job interview it seems like they pick the white person more than they
pick the black person.” Another black felt that a white person would be hired first
because, “...there’s mostly white people running businesses nowadays.” Another
indicated that not only would a white get hired first but, “. . .they would get paid lower
and they (blacks) would have to do more work and get paid less.”
Whites held similar views to that of the blacks. One white youth felt that a white
would get hired over a black because... “some of them white bosses are prejudiced and
they’d rather have white people working for them.” Another white male felt that
businesses are prejudice. “There’s whole businesses that won’t hire blacks or don’t pay
them as good as a white.”