Posted on 04/17/2016 3:25:53 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
A 2016 Fusion Issues Poll surveyed 1,045 adults from ages 18 to 35. The survey revealed how young people feel about a number of social justice issues related to race, especially reparations.
For example, 62 percent of young people say they are opposed to the government providing reparations to African-Americans for slavery, while 32 percent support the measure. However, the breakdown is much different along racial lines. For example, 62 percent of Blacks and 40 percent of Hispanics say they support reparations, while a paltry 21 percent of whites are in favor.
Moreover, even when it comes to a mere federal apology for slavery, 50 percent of young people overall support it, and 44 percent oppose it. However, that translates into 68 percent of Blacks and 59 percent of Hispanics in favor of a government apology, but only 44 percent of whites supporting the measure.
There are sharp divisions based on political affiliation and ideology as well. For example, 61 percent of young adults who say they are Democrats support an apology for slavery, compared with 51 percent of independents and only 31 percent of those who identify as Republicans. This ranges from 66 percent of very liberal young adults to 27 percent of conservative Republicans. Similarly, 49 percent of liberals support reparations, as do 40 percent of Democrats and 14 percent of Republicans.
Further, there is a gender gap on the issue of slavery, with 59 percent of women favoring an apology, and 41 percent of men. The Fusion study also found that young people are more liberal and independent, and less Republican and conservative than older adults, with 45 percent identifying themselves as independents, 31 percent as Democrats, and 19 percent as Republicans.
The study puts these results in perspective by noting that millennials — who account for one-third of adults — are the most diverse generation in U.S. history. Only 56 percent are white, 21 percent are Latino and 13 percent are Black, with 10 percent other or mixed. Further, the youngest members of the millennial group, ages 18-21, are majority nonwhite at 52 percent, and 48 percent white. In addition, young adults poll higher on racial issues than adults in general. For example, 18 percent of adults favored reparations in a Kaiser Family/CNN poll conducted last August, and in an ABC News/Washington Post poll from 15 years ago, 42 percent of adults agreed with a federal apology for slavery.
Among the other results of the survey, young adults believe that during the Obama administration, the economy has fared significantly better than race relations. While 54 percent say the economy has gotten better — including 81 percent of Blacks, 57 percent of Hispanics and only 47 percent of whites — 27 percent say race relations have similarly improved. By a 12-point margin, more millennials say race relations have soured, but by a 33-point spread, more say the economy has shaped up. Nonetheless, young Americans do not blame Obama for the state of race relations, with more than half believing race relations would be bad regardless of who was in the White House.
When it comes to which presidential candidate they think will appoint more Blacks, Latinos and other groups to government positions, young people in general — including whites and Hispanics — chose Sanders over Clinton by a substantial margin, while Blacks were evenly split between the two candidates. Majorities across racial lines believe that the appointment of people of color is a strong reason to support a candidate for president.
Although young people are more diverse, more liberal and less conservative than older adults, the high degree of opposition to reparations is noteworthy. Even 38 percent of young Blacks in the survey did not support reparations. This is particularly significant, given that young people have been energized by the Black Lives Matter movement and are involved in all forms of social activism. And even as young people have been attracted to Bernie Sanders’ campaign, neither Sanders nor Clinton — nor any major candidate other than Green Party candidate Jill Stein — supports reparations. Voices such as Ta-Nehisi Coates have advocated for the compensation for Black people for slavery, but the issue is widely viewed as divisive, in a nation that still has its head in the sand on race, and has failed to come to terms with America’s legacy of high crimes, injustices and violations committed against Black people — both past and present.
The Black Lives Matter movement — propelled to prominence by the killing of young Black bodies — has led to a coalescing by some in society on the issue of race and the criminal justice system. A process of educating society on the racial inequities in America and the harm of institutional racism is unfolding. However, the question remains as to what it will take — what event or series of events — for the tide of public opinion to turn on the question of reparations for slavery. Given the existence of millennial racism, and unresolved issues of white privilege among white millennials — not to mention the racial hostility still exhibited by young whites against Black people on college campuses and elsewhere — there is much work to be done.
What about decendants of whites who owned no slaves or freed their slaves? What about the decendants of blacks who owned slaves? And what about folks decended from both whites and blacks? Do they get to pay reparations to themselves?
2.1% would be too much.
I had an ancestor who served in the Union army and ended up in Andersonville prison camp at the age of 16. How about some reparations for me? (He survived and lived until 1927, BTW)
When idiots like this realize NO ONE alive on this planet had anything to do with slavery in this country back then.
Read the comments - three out of five are spammers promoting work-from-home schemes. I guess they know where their audience is.
“Given the existence of millennial racism, and unresolved issues of white privilege among white millennials — not to mention the racial hostility still exhibited by young whites against Black people on college campuses and elsewhere — there is much work to be done.”
I’m offended and in need of a safezone from such hateful rhetoric.
Reparations? That’s what the last 50+ years of welfare has been. Between affirmative action and racial set asides in college admissions and hiring, there is no reason for reparations. They do not want equal opportunity. They want equal outcomes, without having to put in the equal amount of effort.
What about decendants of whites who owned no slaves or freed their slaves? What about the decendants of blacks who owned slaves? And what about folks decended from both whites and blacks? Do they get to pay reparations to themselves?
And what about somebody like Obama, who identifies as African-American but has no American ancestors who were held in slavery????
In fact, there are millions of black Africans in this country who immigrated here in recent decades. They have no American slave connection either.
How does he manage to fit all this ‘fine print’ on the back of his Race Card?
Just translate it into Ebonics and it will all fit easily:
“Gimme Dats”
Yep, good point. The whole reparations thing just doesn’t work from a practical view, not to mention that the idea is just dumb considering that none of today’s blacks were ever slaves.
This would be a big slippery slope.
What about reparations for American Indian tribes?
What about reparations for homosexuals who were discriminated against in the past?
What about reparations for females, who were discriminated against in the past?? Heck even today we are lectured that females make 79 cents on the dollar and all that. Will women be able to file lawsuits for their reparations?
What about reparations for various Asian-Americans? Heck, Chinese-Americans were discriminated against, slotted into running laundries and Chinese restaurants. Did Ben Cartwright pay Hop Sing a living wage and give him full benefits???
What about reparations for those who worked in factories and industry before modern environmental laws and labor standards were in place?
What about reparations for those who worked before we had a minimum wage law, and were paid subsistence wages for their jobs?
What about reparations for those who lived before the modern welfare state, and suffered due to not having EBT cards and a social safety net??
This could go on and on. Take this concept that somehow we owe reparations not to people living today, but to their descendents for some wrong doing done when judged by modern standards, well, you open a can of worms.
When are the Egyptians going to pay the Jews reparations for 400 years of bondage?
Reparations is a politically dead issue. Nobody outside the black community believes anything is owed and every other minority would be violently opposed to paying a penalty tax for which they share no history about.
How about reparations to Jews for the Holocaust? Logically correct, but it does not stop there. The Armenian genocide, the genocide of Christians in India, the pogroms against so many and it never ends. Everyone is a victim and all the rest must pay, unfortunately, when everyone is a victim, there are no others to pay.
Buy shares in Flash Rims and Gold Teeth manufacturers. Then stand back and watch.
This is another example of past wrongdoing, which based on the idea of reparations, should be addressed. Good luck on getting Egypt to live up to their responsibilities on this one............
Sorry, he has white privilege, even though he never knew it, so you don't qualify...
No reparations .../ S
BTW, sounds like an interesting story...
Did he ever put down his experience in writings?
In this day & age, for most individuals, 18 is definitely NOT an adult (responsible citizen) and some of the 35 year olds are still "students" and dependent on Mom & Pop.
I would not be surprised if Obama brings up this issue. Perhaps this year before he leaves office. Maybe in his farewell speech to the nation, which probably will happen in early Jan. 2017.
Just to be part of his legacy and all that, I could see Obama wanting to weigh in, and say he tried to address this issue as president. Would be a good talking point for him, as he spends the next 30 years on the lecture circuit. He will be a relatively young man for an ex-president, and probably wants to do a “charity” similar to the Clintons. WE will not have seen the last of Barack Obama in public life on Jan. 20, 2017.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.