According to a newly released survey from the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan, blacks are more likely to view whites as a threat to their job opportunities and political power, than vice-versa. While some might attempt to spin this as evidence of white ecumenism on race, or black paranoia, what it actually seems to suggest is that both blacks and whites have a fairly realistic perception of the face of power in the U.S. (even if whites are sometimes loath to admit it).

According to a news snippet from the Race Relations Reporter:

“In a survey of 3,330 individuals, researchers asked white respondents if they agreed with such statements as, ‘More good jobs for blacks means fewer good jobs for people like me.’ Only 20 percent of whites agreed with the statement. Blacks were asked whether they agreed with the statement, ‘More good jobs for whites means fewer good jobs for people like me.’ More than 40 percent of blacks agreed with the statement.”

In other words, many blacks feel as though (and in this they are often correct) that white gains in the labor force have come at their expense (think “last hired, first fired”--a long-standing barrier to black and brown advancement), while whites really don’t feel threatened by black gains (probably because they have been so minimal in many areas).

This suggests that the backlash to affirmative action is less about perceived personal interest (the fear of losing out on a job to a person of color), and more about the belief that some kind of principle is being violated (color-blindness, etc). So for those of us who seek to defend affirmative action, it won’t do to point out how rarely white folks are “injured” by the efforts. Rather, we will have to directly confront the conservative manipulation of these principles, and the twisting of “racial preference” and color-blindness, as concepts. After all, most whites think the only time racial preference exists or that color blindness is violated is when affirmative action is operating. It is our job to demonstrate that racial preference (for whites) is actually the default position of American society, and that color-blindness is a cruel joke in the face of institutionalized white privilege.

Back to the Race Relations Reporter:

“A similar statement was asked about political influence. Only 20 percent of whites believed that more political influence obtained by blacks would mean less political influence for whites. But 57 percent of blacks believed that their political influence is diminished by the political power of whites.”

In other words, both whites and blacks see the truth: white power is an embedded, secure reality, and “black power” is a joke in this system, hardly registering at all, let a lone at a level that could be seen as threatening to white folks.

Tim Wise is an antiracist essayist, activist and father. He can be reached at timwise.org or [email protected].