Weekend Reads | How Do Black Americans Define Success?

by Kevin Schofield

How many of us consider ourselves to be successful? Obviously, that depends on our personal definition of success. This weekend's read, a newly released survey by Pew Research, looks at how Black Americans define and measure success, their ability to meet that standard, and the pressures they feel to do things many people consider essential to being successful.

Pew surveyed 4,736 U.S. adults who identify as either Black and non-Hispanic, Black and Hispanic, or multiracial Black and non-Hispanic. As an initial matter, they found that two-thirds view themselves as at least partially successful. Not surprisingly, the number of people who consider themselves successful increased with age, level of education, and income level.

The researchers then asked about what the elements of success are that they consider to be important or essential. There was wide agreement that three things are essential: being able to provide for your family, being happy, and having enough time to do things you want to do. There was consensus that another four items were at least important, if not essential: having a job or career you enjoy, owning your own home, using your talents and resources to help others, and making your family or community proud. On one issue, there were split opinions: the importance of being married.

In most cases, there was rough agreement across gender, age, education, and other factors, with a few exceptions: the younger you are, the more important you believe it is to have a job or career you enjoy; and Black immigrants had stronger feelings about which elements were essential to success than Black people born in the U.S.

Among survey respondents, 71% said they felt either "a great deal" or "a fair amount" of pressure to have enough money to do the things they want to do, and nearly as many indicated feeling pressure to be able to provide for their family; 62% said they felt pressure to be happy, which feels a bit like an old sarcastic adage spouted by poor leaders: "The beatings will continue until morale improves." On the flip side, 61% said they don't feel pressured to get married. Black women reported feeling more pressure than Black men on nearly all elements (except staying married), and Black immigrants said they felt more pressure in almost all instances than Black people born in the U.S.

When asked what is essential to becoming successful, there was near-unanimous agreement on two factors: having self-confidence and financial stability. Over half thought having a college degree is important but not essential. Older survey respondents saw both financial stability and "connections to other people who can open doors" as less important.

Black Americans were split somewhat on their definition of "financial success." About two-thirds believe being debt-free and having enough money to do the things you want are both essential. There was broad agreement that four items were at least important if not essential: owning a home, being able to pass down financial assets, having multiple streams of income, and being able to retire early. But survey respondents were split as to whether owning a business is essential or important to financial success. Interestingly, across every category, the older you are, the less you think any of the proposed measures of financial success is essential.

The survey report includes information on Black Americans' economic worries, both what they worry about and how often they experience them. It also dives into how prepared they are to cope with losing their income for three months.

The Pew survey is a fascinating look at success, especially financial success, for Black Americans. It highlights how age makes a big difference, as do, to slightly less extent, gender, education, and whether you are an immigrant. The difference in view on success by age raises many questions left unanswered by the survey, most notably, why? Is it the wisdom of experience held by elders, the ambition to "make it big" held by the young, or a generational gap driven by growing up in different eras and cultures?

Black Americans' Views on Success in the U.S.

Featured image via Jono Erasmus/Shutterstock.com.