Poll: Black teens more optimistic about future than peers, more approving of Obama

Poll: Black teens more optimistic than peers

CHICAGO — A new survey finds that black high school students are more optimistic about the future than their peers.

A poll released Thursday by Hamilton College shows that 70 percent of black students ages 15 to 18 believe that their standard of living will be better than their parents.

That compares to just 36 percent of white students, and 39 percent overall.

Those numbers and the level of optimism among black students appear to be closely tied to enthusiasm for President Barack Obama.

Asked about the president’s performance, more than two-thirds of black students rated it as “good” or “very good,” compared with 23 percent of white students.

Overall, about a quarter of the students who were surveyed rated the president highly.

On the Net:

Hamilton College poll webcast: www.hamilton.edu/pollcast/