Lexington, KY - What is it like to live, work, go to school and raise a family in Lexington, Kentucky? According to public opinion research released by the Urban League of Lexington-Fayette County, "Blacks, Whites and Hispanics look at Lexington through different lenses. And these lenses have been altered by life experiences, cultural dynamics, socio-economic circumstances and many other factors that, in turn, shape one's opinions about life here."
The State of Black Lexington
The report, , was presented at a press conference at the Oteria O'Rear Community Center in Douglass Park by Urban League President and CEO P.G. Peeples, Mayor Jim Newberry, University of Kentucky President Lee Todd, and members of the survey work group.
Business Lexington
The full study, based on a public opinion survey conducted by the Lexington marketing, communications and research firm Preston-Osborne, and can be viewed by clicking here. It is the first of what Peeples hopes will be an annual look at the issues related to being a member of a racial and/or cultural minority of the Lexington community. "My hope is to move away from the bitter, anecdotal information poor people have and to move forward with a civil conversation that focuses on fixing things, rather than getting in the way," he told prior to the press conference.
An overview of the survey of 600 residents notes that Lexington's Hispanic population expressed a far more positive view of life in Fayette County than did Blacks and Whites. Views among Whites fell in the middle of the spectrum of opinions about quality of life, equality and issues of race, employment, housing, health care, education and public safety. African Americans generally hold a more tempered view about these issues.
"The survey results point to a trend that has been observed over the past several years: Blacks continue to lose ground on many key indicators of economic wellbeing, including household income and employment rates," the report quotes Peeples as saying. "Since the recession began in 2007, Blacks have been especially hard hit when it comes to job losses, with African American males being perhaps the most profoundly affected," he said.
The report notes that nearly 8 in 10 Hispanic Fayette Countians moved to the area not from another city, but from another country and suggests "it stands to reason that first-generation immigrants would have a significantly different set of expectations with regard to things such as housing, education and health care than would someone who has been a lifelong resident of the United States."
Younger blacks responding to the survey said they were more optimistic about their future than older African Americans, and consider Lexington a good place to raise a family. Middle-age blacks were less likely than younger or senior Black respondents to view race relations favorably and were less confident that they can make a difference in the community, if they wanted to become civically engaged.
Yet, the survey found that 36 percent of Blacks, 41 percent of Whites and 54 percent of Hispanics strongly agree with the statement: "Minorities in Lexington make important contributions to our community's overall quality of life."
"When one analyzes the data in this report, it has similarities to what one might hear in a local barber shop, beauty parlor, church, grocery store or wherever you find African Americans congregating in Lexington," said EKU professors Roger Cleveland and Sherwood Thompson in a statement prepared for the study report. "Lexington appears to be a 'Tale of Two Cities' as opportunities are concerned," they observed.
44 percent of Blacks strongly disagree with the statement "People of all races in Lexington receive the same opportunities and chances in life." Only 6 percent strongly agree compared with 19 percent of Whites and 36 percent of Hispanics.
46 percent of Blacks strongly or somewhat disagree that they have access to good paying jobs in Lexington - 25 percent of Whites and 27 percent of Hispanics are on the same page.
That affordable housing is accessible, 52 percent of Whites, 49 percent of Hispanics and 36 percent of Blacks strongly agree.
But when it comes to access to quality health care, the survey finds that only 20 percent of Blacks strongly agree, while 28 percent of Whites and 35 percent of Hispanics feel they can readily obtain any care they might need.
"Overall, the data gathered from this study gives the officials in Lexington and surrounding communities a model for understanding its unique and diverse populations," notes EKU Professor of Sociology, Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, Aaron Thompson. "This study is significant in the fact that it offers and excellent baseline of information to put into action and lends itself to implement future actions."
Peeples said he wants Lexingtonians to absorb the information found in the study before implementing strategies to make changes. Releasing the report and getting the information about statistics, not anecdotes, was a "critical first step," while forums are planned to help the information found in the report to be processed.
At the press conference Peeples said he isn't asking just LFUCG to implement changes that will make Lexington the type of place people of all races feel equal and capable of succeeding in, he wants residents of the entire area to "circle the wagons" around the problems outlined in the report. As the process moves forward, Peeples wants to see citizens step up and take ownership of making changes and building the strategy to do so.
Peeples said future studies will use as a model the national Urban League's "State of Black America" report which has been produced annually for more than 25-years.
The inaugural "State of Black Lexington" survey was funded in partnership with the Mayor's Office, the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Human Rights Commission, the Lexington Commission on Race Relations and the University of Kentucky.