POLL RESULTS: BLACK PEOPLE SAY WHAT IT MEANS TO BE BLACK

Oakland, CA

An Afrometrics Poll on Self Definition conducted in February, 2013 highlights how many African Americans\Black people define racial identity in multidimensional ways that transcend dictionary definitions and common scientific definitions of race. African Americans\Black people were surveyed about how they define what it means to be African American\Black. They were also asked how they felt about being African American\Black.

Responses to the question, “What does being African American\Black mean to you?” were coded into categories representing common themes. The initial categorization had an intercoder reliability rating on 85.7% representing strong reliability. The African American\Black respondents who participated in this study most frequently mentioned six aspects of what it means to be African American\Black: 1) Struggle and Resilience, 2) Ancestry, 3) Pride, 4) History and Legacy, 5) African descent Community, and 6) Physicality.

Struggle and Resilience
The most common aspect of what it means to be Black mentioned in this study was struggle and resilience. Twenty-five percent of the participants in this study identified being Black with being a part of a struggle for justice and equality against the forces of racism and other forms of oppression. Respondents made statements such as:

• “Being black is about resilience, innovation, creativity, and excellence in the face of struggle.”
• “Being Black, to me, means that I will endure a beautiful struggle throughout my life.”
• “Because of what people of my race endured, I feel obligated to advocate for those who suffer needlessly because of ignorance, especially willful ignorance.”
• “Black means to be brilliant and troubled at the same time and it also requires a lot of resilience and it means I have to be aware of racism continuously.”
• “Being black means being resilient.”

Struggle and resilience is one part of how many Black people define Blackness. This finding supports the idea that African American \ Black people draw upon their racial identity to assist them in their efforts to accomplish goals, be creative, and remain confident in the face of adversity.

Ancestry
Twenty-three percent of respondents mentioned their ancestors as a significant part of what it means to be Black\African American. It appears that the conception of a Black identity in the present day is informed by one’s ancestors. Respondents made statements such as the following:

• “My ancestors are from Africa; my preference is to be called African-American.”
• “Being Black/African American is to possess Black blood rather it be full or partial and/or be a descendant of Black/ African ancestors.”
• “Being Black/African American is a result of being a part of an ancestral lineage that extends back to Africa. In my Blackness and the lived experience of my ancestors I can celebrate Africanity as identity and being.”
• “It means to have ancestors from Africa who are acknowledged as being a part of your heritage.”

In reference to ancestry, respondents also indicate a sense of responsibility towards their ancestors in their present day understanding and articulation of a Black identity. Statements such as the following exemplify this:

• “It's my inheritance. I owe my ancestors for it. I give thanks to have been born into such a beautiful legacy.”
• “True to my past, present, and future. True to my ancestors. True to myself.”

Therefore, this finding suggests that not only are ancestors venerated in what it means to be Black\African American, but also that many see a continuous responsibility to honor them.

Pride
Twenty-three percent of the participants in this study identified being African American\Black with pride. They defined their racial identity as a source of personal and collective pride and empowerment. Respondents made statements such as:

• “It means to be proud, creative, deep rooted, rich culture and very intelligent.”
• “Being proud of my history and culture”
• “Empowered by struggle with limitless opportunities resulting from a strong foundation of pure leadership.”
• “Simply that I'm Black. I have a proud history, and I'm proud to be me.”
• “Envied, feared, proud cultural jewel!”

This finding suggests that African American\Black people may utilize their racial identity as a source of pride. Moreover, institutions, organization, and individuals who are interested in promoting a healthy self-concept and sense of self efficacy among African American\Black people may do so by promoting a positive sense of racial identity among them.

History and Legacy
Respondents indicated that the meaning of being Black involved being rooted in history. To have a sense of the history associated with being Black seems to suggest an awareness of the memory and legacy of an African origin, descent, and historical events that mold Blackness as a racial identity.

Fifteen percent of respondents stated that being Black was informed by the past in that it connects one with Africa. This is exemplified by statements like the following:

• “Being black or African is about roots. How connected you are to your history but also your skin.”
• “Being Black/African American is a result of being a part of an ancestral lineage that extends back to Africa. In my Blackness and the lived experience of my ancestors I can celebrate Africanity as identity and being. In my African American identity I embrace a cultural center and worldview that relocates the historic and present Black cultural experience for the purpose of maintaining my own senses of objectivity instead of adopting another cultures subjective view stemming from their own cultural lens and location.”
• “It's my inheritance. I owe my ancestors for it. I give thanks to have been born into such a beautiful legacy.”

This finding suggests that Blacks\African Americans may draw upon their rich heritage and history in order to restore a positive articulation of their sense of self in a highly racialized society such as the US.

African Descent Community
Thirteen percent of respondents referenced being of African descent, having membership in a globally diverse African-descended community, and embracing culture, tradition, and a value system that is more far-reaching than geographical constraints. Respondents made statements such as the following:

• “It means that I am a person of African descent.”
• “To be of African origin, powerful, rich culture and history.”
• “To me being of African descent means that I have a strong connection with a powerful history.”

This finding suggests that for Blacks\African Americans there is little separation between the individual and community. Being a Black person is symbiotically linked to a larger community beyond the individual self. This is represented by statements such as:

• “Being a black American means I am a part of the African diaspora and part of beautiful culture and tradition”
• “Being black means being part of something larger than myself, representing those other than myself”
• “We are exceptionally diverse, yet the outside world tends not to see that, and thus I feel that we are all connected.”

This definition of what it means to be Black appears to suggest a collective responsibility as well as common core values and morals. For example, one respondent stated:

• “To be Black is to be connected to and have an awareness of a broader pan-African community, culture and value system. It involves embracing those values and contributing to and enhancing the community and the culture.”

Another respondent stated:

• “So a success for one should be a success for all, as each of our individual struggles tend to be viewed as representative.”

This finding supports the traditional African understanding of the self as a relational being in alignment with a broader community and spirit realm. Culture, values, tradition, and a sense of collective responsibility are constitutive to one’s self concept and racial identity.

Physicality
Least common among the respondents’ descriptions of what it means to be Black was specific reference to physical features and phenotype.

Four percent of respondents stated that being Black meant displaying some physical characteristic that represents racial distinction. This is characterized by statements such as the following:

• “It means having pigment in your skin that others lack.”
• “[...] anyone who displays features of those in the Negroid race.”
• “A person with some shade of brown skin whose ancestors were forcibly brought from Africa to the US.”

This finding suggests that Blacks’\African Americans’ self concept and racial identity are largely influenced by factors other than physical features.

Table 1: What Being Black Means

Respondents were also asked to indicate how they felt about being African American\Black on a scale ranging from “very negatively” to “very positively.”  Respondents were also asked to indicate their annual income level, highest level of education, age, and gender.  A Pearson correlation was calculated for the relationship between respondents’ feelings about Blackness and respondents’ annual income level, highest level of education, age, and gender.  A positive relationship was found (r(55) = -.220, p<.05), indicating a statistically significant positive correlation between respondents’ feelings about being African American\ Black and their levels of education (See Table 2).   As respondents’ levels of education increased, there was an increase in their feelings about being African American\Black, indicating that the higher Black people’s education levels were, the more likely they were to feel positively about being African American/Black.  This finding indicates that the large majority (91%) of African Americans in this sample feel positively about being Black.  Dialogue about racism should be careful to differentiate African American\Black people's attitudes about racial identity and their attitudes about racism.  It is important to understand that negative attitudes about racism do not equate to negative attitudes about racial identity. 

Table 2: How You Feel about Being Black