CONCERN FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AMONG BLACK-AMERICANS - AN ASSESSMENT OF COMMON ASSUMPTIONS

Assumptions persisting over two decades suggest that black Americans a re less concerned about environmental problems than white Americans. H owever, research since 1980 and analyses of NORC data (1973-90) strong ly suggest that black Americans display strong ''environmental concern ,'' at least equal to and sometimes exceeding that shown by white Amer icans. Black Americans also display greater concern than white America ns for other pressing social problems, but the authors caution that th ese priorities do not indicate black disregard for environmental quali ty.