40% of White Americans Have Negative View of African Americans

I used to worry about how race would impact on Barack Obama's chances of being elected. If a recent AP/Yahoo poll is to be believed, I need to worry about how race impacts on my personal opportunity for success in America.

40 percent of all white Americans hold at least a partly negative view toward Blacks. This poll wasn't limited to rednecks ... this was your average everyday white man or woman that pass by us in restaurants, grocery stores, gas stations, little league baseball stands and commuter driving.

Let me repeat that statistic for those that didn't read it right the first time: 40 percent of all white Americans hold at least a partly negative view toward Blacks.

I'm not making this ish up! You can download or read the full poll here.

We have had studies with horrible conclusions like this in the past. However, I remember how glad I felt earlier this year when Barack Obama asked us all to engage in a more honest discussion about race. Do you remember his speech in Philadelphia?

You would think they would hold negative view of bankers or mortgage lenders since those are the causing all the confusion in the nation recently. I can see if they had such a high negative view of OJ Simpson. But, c'mon America -- 2-out-of-every-5 white people are looking at me with negative mindset before we even meet?

If you told me this poll was taken in 1948 or 1958 or 1968 or 1978 ... maybe I would see how it could be that way .... but, brothers and sisters ... this is 2008! We are 45 days from electing a Black man to be President of the United States ... and 40% of the white folks in America are still thinking of Blacks as 'lazy', 'violent' and 'irresponsible'.

One political scientist who examined the polling results concluded, "There are a lot fewer bigots than there were 50 years ago, but that doesn't mean there's only a few bigots."

Not all whites are prejudiced. Indeed, more whites say good things about Blacks than say bad things, the poll shows. But, you can't get around the fact that the next five white folks I see ... it is likely that two of them are thinking negative thoughts about me as a Black man in America.

I'm convinced that I need to redouble my efforts to ensure that my children have a healthy dose of self-worth and self-love.

Parents, we cannot let our children be defined by other people ... because 40% of white people will define us in a negative manner. We must continually self-validate our worth as citizens. We cannot rely on the mass media. We cannot rely on the public education system. We cannot rely on our colleagues or our clients. We must pump up our own self-conscious system with positive affirmations. We must define ourself.

Personally, I need to go get a dose of 'kugichagulia' to do battle with the daily grind of interaction with those 40% of the white population that harbor negative thoughts about me due strictly to the color of my skin.

This poll tells me that less than 1 in 6 white Republicans feel that Blacks in school are 'intelligent'.

Some will remind me that White folks have been saying that we are less intelligent for many years. Recently, a Pulitzer Prize winner said it.

Villagers, it feels different this time. My two youngest go to school here in suburbs of Cincinnati. Our congressional representative is Republican. It is fair to say that I live in a community that is majority Republican. Is it unfair for me to worry that my young nubian children are facing an uphill battle if they enter into a school system where less than 1 in 6 white teachers or administrators feel that they are 'intelligent'.

I need some help Villagers! Talk me down! Tell me that I should not be as concerned by this poll as I am at the moment. The poll was designed to figure out why Obama isn't doing better in the presidential election polling. But, they speak to a much deeper issue and concern as it relates to race relations.

Talk me down! What say u?