It is widely assumed that the leading proponents of teaching creationism in the public schools are White evangelical Christians. But a new study conducted by researchers at Rice University in Houston and The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., finds that Blacks are more likely than Whites to believe creationism should be taught in the schools.
In a survey of nearly 10,000 participants, the authors found that a higher percentage of Black (58 percent) and Latino Americans (57 percent) compared to Whites (44 percent) support teaching creationism in the classroom instead of (but not alongside) evolution.
The authors state that Black Americans in their survey reported attending church services at significantly higher rates than Whites, Latinos, and others, although Latinos also report high rates of church attendance compared to Whites and people of other races. Respondents who identified as Black are also significantly more likely than others to be Biblical literalists.
The study, “Challenging Evolution in Public Schools: Race, Religion and Attitudes toward Teaching Creationism,” was published on the website of Socius: Sociological Research for a Dynamic World. It may be accessed here.
