The Disproportionate Overrepresentation of Minority Youth in ...

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Youth were also asked whether they felt the opportunities for blacks would
improve or worsen in the future. Responses from the self reports indicate both races are
optimistic about improving opportunities for blacks in the future. Seventy—six percent of
the blacks felt their opportunities would stay the same or improve. A 75 percent majority
of whites also felt blacks have rising opportunities.
The responses from the blacks interviewed were evenly distributed. Some blacks
feel the majority of resources lie in the hands of the dominant whites and will stay that
way in the future. “People who own businesses, like the white people, might be prejudice
and might not want to hire blacks and hire white people instead.” Other blacks feel their
opportunities will improve if society can set racial conflicts aside and come together.
“Black opportunities will improve in the future if people stop arguing and work
together.” There are also some black youth who felt opportunities will stay the same.
Whites were pretty much in agreement that black opportunities will improve in
the future. “It’s getting better. . .blacks are getting more equal rights.” Only one of the
white youth interviewed believed opportunities will get worse in the future. Negative
attitudes towards blacks in our society were seen as an explanation for this perception. “I
think it’ll get worse. There’s a lot of prejudice.” Evidence of prejudice could be seen in
some of the responses. One white, for example, said, “I feel that blacks should stay and
work with blacks and whites should work with whites.” In sum, variation exists among
blacks