While many hail the election of Barrack Obama as a major step in "black progress," implying that historical and contemporary circumstances of blacks are merely a reflection of their own efforts, an alternative interpretation suggests rather that this election denotes a major step in "white progress." While few today would likely assert that blacks should be denied equal rights or treatment, there remains a significant number of Americans yet to accept the fact that we are all created equal.

Shocking stats, but I think you got willpower and ability to learn wrong. Those aren't whites thinking they are better. Those are whites attributing place poverty to those characteristics.

That would certainly be the case if the question was targeted at today's poor, rather than the historical persistence of black poverty. However, from my perspective, to legitimize this intergenerational poverty, by asserting it to be a product of the race's lack of any particular characteristic, is to necessarily say that whites-- who are, at the median, over 2200% wealthier--do not lack that characteristic to the same degree. While I have no doubt that many of those polled would not consider themselves prejudiced (i.e. 'think they are better'), the explicit distinction they are drawing between the races, and their prospects for success, is inherently just that.

Fair enough. I was going with a strict observation of the report. I totally agree with your analysis of our historical and institutionalized racism.

It is remarkable how much people think their character, skills and personality are somehow totally independent from their environment. Too many people in the United States are born on third base and think they hit a triple, and look back towards people struck out at first as inferior and undeserving of their help.