Pulaski County Seeing Black and White

Almost 50 years ago, a national desegragation struggle came home to Little Rock. The Little Rock Nine integrated Central High School before an angry crowd. Fast forward to 2004. A crowd of religious leaders ponders race relations in Pulaski County. A new study from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock surveyed Pulaski County residents based on how they think race relations are going in Little Rock, North Little Rock, and Pulaski County. It revealed most blacks and whites in Pulaski County rate race relations as good or very good. But a deeper look shows greater differences. "The attitudes seem to be much more open than the reality," said Rev. Barbara Jones, a panelist chosen for the discussion. For overall treatment of blacks in the community, the study found that more whites than blacks felt blacks were treated the same as whites. But more blacks than whites felt they were not treated very well. "That issues of discrimination, I don`t think whites see it as much, they have not experienced it," Jones said. The study also found that more blacks than whites believe whites have a better chance at getting jobs, fair housing and education. "There are some economic issues on either side that impact how people perceive things," said Rev. Logan Hampton, a panelist also chosen to discuss the study. According to the U.S. Census, whites make up 64% or Pulaski County, and blacks 32%. Seven percent of the county`s white population lives in poverty, compared with, four times that, 26% of the county`s blacks. And the unemployment rate for blacks is three times that of whites. So the study released today begs the question is reality perception? "Oftentimes we say that perception is reality and that you`ll make your reality fit what your perception is to some extent," Hampton said. The study called racial attitudes finds there may be some attitudes to adjust. "What do we do? We risk, we talk. We risk having someone tell us something we didn`t know or didn`t want to hear," said Jones. Blurring the color line, dividing what is real from what we think. "We have miles to walk before we sleep, miles to walk before we sleep," said Hampton.