New study looks at the motivations behind politically involved black youths

By Renee D. Turner
BET.com
(October. 12, 2006) In contrast to the rap about African-American youths – that they’re likely to wind up in prison, be killed by a peer or get pregnant – there’s new evidence that they are trying harder than most to make a difference.

“Consistent with previous research, African Americans are generally the most politically engaged racial/ethnic group,” says a survey released last week by the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement.

African-American young people are “most likely to vote regularly, belong to groups involved with politics, donate money to candidates or parties, display buttons or signs, canvass and contact the broadcast media or print media,”  says the study.  Black people between the ages of 15-25 were also most likely to raise money for a charity, tying with Asian Americans.

The Maryland-based researchers reached those conclusions from telephone and email surveys done earlier this year with 1,700 young people ages 15-25. Analysts said the level of involvement heightened during the 2004 presidential race. 

Asian American youths came right behind African Americans and, like Black youths, are more likely to volunteer, sign petitions, raise money and persuade others about elections.

Latino youths, on the other hand, had the highest levels of disengagement and were the least likely to volunteer, contact officials or boycott. But 25 percent of young Latinos have protested, “more than double the rate for any other racial/ethnic group.” This may be the direct result of the recent protests over immigration reform, the study suggested.

White youths, however, “are least likely to protest, donate money to a party or candidate or persuade others about an election,” the study found. “[They] are the most likely to run, walk or ride a bike for charity and to be active members of a group.”

As for African-American youths, the study said they believe the reason they get involved is because they are “most likely to view the political system as unresponsive to the genuine needs of the public.” Asians were more likely to believe the system is responsive.

The researchers’ findings on political involvement run counter to American youths’ lack of general knowledge about the political players. A little more than half of the youths surveyed could not name the Republican Party as the more conservative party; 56 percent did not know that only citizens could vote in federal elections; and only 30 percent could correctly name at least one member of the president's cabinet. Of those who could name a cabinet member, 82 percent named Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.




 

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