Can Blacks Live the American Dream?
Written By: Lee H. Walker Published In: The New Coalition Publication Date: January 10, 2008 Publisher: The New Coalition A recent Pew Research Center survey of the national black community has led to many news stories about the values of the black middle class. The Washington, D.C.-based nonpartisan “fact tank” provides information on issues, attitudes and trends shaping America and the world through public opinion polling. Last November, the center released Blacks See Growing Values Gap Between the Poor and the Middle Class: Optimism about Black Progress Declines, an 88-page survey on black America. This report raised the question, “Can blacks live the American dream?” Unexpected findings in the survey highlight a growing values gap between the poor and middle classes. The word “values,” when connected to a large community of people, should not be overlooked without a more thorough questioning when a negative trend line begins to show. In 1965, Sen. Daniel Moynihan, an economist, wro
