A majority of blacks (52%) now say that blacks who cannot get ahead in this country are mainly responsible for their own situation, whereas only about a third (34%) say that racial discrimination is the main reason, accoridng to the latest Pew Research Center survey of racial attitudes. Fifteen years ago, most blacks held the opposite view. Multiple surveys taken since 1994 show that this shift in blacks’ perceptions has occurred in fits and starts over time, and that the change pre-dates the election of President Barack Obama. Read More

Russell Heimlich  is a former web developer at Pew Research Center.