Highly Educated and Economically Successful Black Men Do Not Escape Racial Discrimination

A new study by researchers at the Univerity of California, Los Angeles and Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science in Los Angeles finds that African American men who become successful economically do not escape the effects of racial discrimination.

The study found that Black men who reach a high socioeconomic status still face higher levels of discrimination compared to their White counterparts. This discrimination can also impact Black men’s physical and mental health, according to the study.

The study examined daily discrimination, which is often subtle and implicit. For Black men, daily discrimination includes being followed around in stores or being given poorer quality service at businesses.

“While people think that racism exists, they believe it exists only among people who are poor, or who aren’t highly educated,” said Vickie Mays, a coauthor of the study and a health policy and management professor. “They have no idea how much discrimination exists as people go up the ranks.”

For Black men who’ve seemingly achieved the American Dream, facing daily discrimination is disillusioning, Professor Mays said. “You work, you achieve, you gather all of this great prestige in society in terms of your job or your level of income, and then someone still doesn’t let you be all that you can be.”

The full study, “Money Protects White but Not African American Men Against Discrimination: Comparison of African American and White Men in the Same Geographic Areas,” was published on the website of the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. It may be accessed here.

 

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10 COMMENTS

  1. Another pollyannish study by another so-called Black academics. It appears these so-called Black academic FAIL to Recognize that so-called “successful Black Americans” Can Not escape American Racism regardless of your Degree or Money or Domicility.

  2. I think this what Professor Mays was eluding too! HBCU watch people need to calm down and look more for the positive things in life, which there are MANY!

    • Hey Stanley,

      Your misguided and dimwitted comment is indicative of years of miseducation under the guise of neoliberalism. It’s time to stop be afraid of the so-called “white establishment” Stanley.

  3. @HBCU Watch

    Your comments are unnecessary. What establishments and infrastructures have the Black Community build to keep Black men and Black people in the community since the “Black Wall Street” in Oklahoma 100 years ago? Black men would rather have envy and hate for one another other than coming together to build, practice group economics and collaborating on new ideas.

    • Hey Paul,

      It’s quite evident that you’re TOTALLY clueless about the scores of so-called Black organizations across America that Specifically address many of the most salient issues impacting the Black community. Paul, you need to Recognize that simply because a person Disagree with your dimwitted comment does not qualify as “hate or envy”. Grow up Paul who probably resides in gated White community all the while “talking about Black issues”.
      Hypocrite!

  4. HBCU Watch, Stanley Cobb and Paul: Please check your comments for errors of grammar, diction, spelling and capitalization before pressing the ‘Submit’ button. The mistakes made on these pages would disgrace even a high school dropout. For example, the verb “allude” has a very different meaning than “elude.”

  5. Still nothing positive to say, bitterness and hatefulness is easy, also writing errors are common place except for those that are perfect!

    • Sorry. It isn’t “hate” to correct elementary writing mistakes. A lot of us would find the world less “racist” if we were competent professionals.

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