Poll: Blacks grow more pessimistic

Black Americans are more dissatisfied with their progress than at any time in the past 20 years
By Marisol Bello
USA TODAY

WASHINGTON — Black Americans are more dissatisfied with their progress than at any time in the past 20 years, and less than half say life will get better for them in the future.

A poll released Tuesday by the Pew Research Center found that one in five blacks say things are better for them now than five years ago. In 1984, almost two in five blacks said things were better than they were five years earlier.

MORE FROM THE STUDY: Pew Research Center

Less than half of blacks surveyed say they think life will get better, compared with 57% in 1986.
"There's a great deal of anxiety, cynicism and pessimism today," says Marc Morial, president of the National Urban League. He says growing rates of crime, unemployment and mortgage foreclosures are shrinking wealth in black communities, which contributes to the dissatisfaction.

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