An interesting study released by the University of Chicago last week titled the Black Youth Project surveyed attitudes of young people ages 15 to 25.


(Source: Black Youth Project)

Though the study focused on young Blacks, Whites and Latinos also comprised part of the survey pool so as to provide comparable data.

According to the study's authors, this survey measures the opinions and perspectives of an often overlooked group among social scientists and pollsters.

Not surprisingly, the study found this demographic had some very definite and, in some cases, startling opinions.


(Source: Black Youth Project)

For example:

A majority of Black youth (68%) feel that the government would do more to find a cure for AIDS if more White people had the disease.

Fifty-seven percent of Latino young people disagree that the government should make getting an abortion illegal under any circumstances.

And among the three groups: Blacks, Whites and Hispanic girls, only 53% of Latinas believed the statement “Rap music videos portray Black women in bad and offensive ways,” compared to 66% of Black girls and 60% of White girls who believe the statement.

Yet, an even more surprising revelation from the survey was the fact that 48% of Black youth and 29% of White youth believe that the government treats immigrants better than it treats most Black people in this country, compared to 18% of Hispanic young people.

Since "immigrants" are synonymous with Latinos these days, this is an answer that deserves further exploration, as well as why young Latinas feel it's okay to degrade women in music videos.

Obviously, this is a study that is long overdue and should garner more attention that it's getting.