ldunbar@nul.org

Bob Ellison, 202-333-6181

bellison@wallscomm.com

NATIONAL URBAN LEAGUE STATE OF BLACK AMERICA 2001 SURVEY:

ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY IS THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUE FACING BLACKS

Additional Findings Reveal Mistrust of Police and the Criminal Justice System,

But a Lack of Concern about HIV/AIDS

New York, NY, July 25, 2001–According to a survey conducted for the National Urban League’s 2001 edition of its landmark report, The State of Black America, a substantial majority of African Americans–60 percent–believe that economic opportunity should be the primary focus of black organizations today.

Additionally, a cluster of economic concerns–economic development, jobs and unemployment–were cited twice as often as any other issue as the biggest problem they personally expect to face in the next ten years. These economic issues ranked equally with discrimination and racism as the most important problem facing Black people in the United States today. As another indicator of the entrepreneurial surge within the African-American community, 67 percent of those surveyed expressed a desire to own their own business.

Police/Community Relations
Randomly-selected telephone interviews with 800 African Americans nationwide for The State of Black America 2001 survey further revealed that racial profiling, concerns about police brutality and skepticism of the criminal justice system are hot button issues: 43 percent of respondents said that they felt they had been stopped by the police because of their race. Forty five percent said that they worry about being a victim of police brutality, and nearly three-fourths–74 percent–said that they think the criminal justice system is biased against them.

Looking at HIV/AIDS

Some of the survey’s most startling findings center around attitudes and behaviors related to HIV/AIDS.

Despite recent reports that HIV and AIDS are spreading rapidly in the Black community, nearly three-fourths–72 percent–of The State of Black America 2001 survey respondents say they are "not too worried" about contracting HIV.

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The State of Black America 2001…Page Two

Less than half of respondents–48 percent–reported that they had changed their behavior to avoid contracting HIV, while 49 percent reported that they had not made any changes in their behavior.

"Findings from the National Urban League State of Black America 2001 survey reveal how African Americans are turning their attention increasingly towards economic opportunity," National Urban League president Hugh B. Price said. "As the oldest and largest community-based movement devoted to empowering African Americans to enter the economic and social mainstream, the Urban League clearly is in synch with the highest priorities of our people."

"That a majority of respondents express a desire to own their own business reflects a movement in the African American community towards entrepreneurship and risk-taking, ingredients that can help fuel a move towards economic self-sufficiency.

"However, this spirit of enterprise stands in sharp contrast to the reckless attitudes expressed about HIV and AIDS. AIDS is ravaging our communities, and evidence that less than half of all African Americans are changing their behavior in order to protect themselves against it should signal a clarion call for increased safe sex and preventive education."

Published since 1976, The State of Black America is the most scholarly annual assessment of the status of African-Americans. Members of the media can receive complimentary copies by calling 212-558-5319. For all others, copies are available for purchase (cost is $24.95 plus shipping and handling) by calling the National Urban League’s Publications Department at 212-558-5300.

The State of Black America 2001 Survey results and abstracts are available on the League’s Web site at www/nul.org/soba2001.

Methodology

The National Urban League State of Black America 2001 national telephone poll was conducted among a random sample of 800 Black adults by Blum & Weprin Associates, Inc. April 1-17, 2001. The sample was based on an RDD design which draws numbers from telephone exchanges in all 50 states, giving all phone numbers, listed and unlisted, a proportionate chance of being included. Respondents were selected randomly within the household, and then screened for race. The sample was quotated by region. Results were weighted by gender and age to reflect the most recent U.S. Census estimates of the black adult population. The estimated average sample tolerance for data is + 3.5 percent at the 95 percent confidence level. That is, the chances are about 19 out of 20 that if all black households with telephones were surveyed with the same questionnaire, the results of the complete census would not be found to deviate from the poll findings by more than 3.5 percentage points. Error for subgroups is higher.

The Urban League is the nation’s oldest and largest community-based movement devoted to empowering African Americans to enter the economic and social mainstream. The National Urban League, headquartered in New York City, spearheads the nonprofit, nonpartisan movement, while Urban League affiliates operate in more than 100 cities in 34 states and the District of Columbia. More information is available at www.nul.org.