Is Obama Black?

Overall, about a quarter of Americans (27%) see President Barack Obama as black; a 52% majority see him as of mixed race. But the latest Pew Research Center racial attitudes survey finds views differ sharply among racial and ethnic groups. Offered a choice, most blacks (55%) say Obama is black, while about a third (34%) say he is mixed race. Among whites, the pattern is reversed. Most (53%) say he is mixed race, while just a quarter (24%) say he is black. Hispanics are even more inclined than whites to see him as mixed race; 61% do so. Only minor sub-group differences by age, education or income surface on this question. Still, even within racial groups, there is considerable disagreement — witness the fact that only a bare majority of both blacks and whites agree among themselves. Read More