Although African Americans still believe in many of the traditional paths for improving their situation, such as educational achievement and civic engagement, they are not experiencing the outcomes for which they had hoped. This has resulted in a population struggling with the toll of racism and concerned for its future, according to The Pulse of Black America, a new poll from the National Urban League (NUL).
The poll surveyed nearly 1700 people, more than 80% Black or people of color, this past March.
According to NUL president and CEO Mark Morial, it is the “best, most comprehensive, authentic, and legitimate picture of where Black America is today. If [it] points to a grim picture, it’s because this is what Black America is telling us.” 
Marc Morial
Morial’s description is accurate. Racism was found to be having a greater effect on the mental health of Black people now than in the summer of 2020. The effect was particularly pronounced on the young, with more than two out of five Black Millennials or Gen Z-ers saying that racism affected their mental health at least once a month. Additionally, African Americans expressed more worry than whites about every economic issue polled, from the rising cost of living to the possibility of losing their home, and reported concerns about discrimination in healthcare, government, and education.
The poll found that education has not paid off for African Americans in the way that it had been expected to. Although African Americans attended college at a comparable rate to whites, they were less likely to have a higher income or a white collar professional or managerial job. One in three Black college graduates were unsure when or if they would be able to pay off their student loans. And 74% of HBCU students were concerned about being looked down upon for not attending a predominantly white institution.
