The Black-White Cultural Divide Persists Even for College Graduates

Last week JBHE reported a wide racial divide in attendance at and participation in cultural events such as the theater, opera, the ballet, art shows, and classical music performances. Generally these activities are associated with people who have a higher education. So, considering the large racial gap in educational attainments, it is no surprise that whites participate in these events more than blacks.

But when we break down the data by educational attainment, we see a large racial gap remains for blacks and whites who have completed a four-year college degree. White college graduates are more than twice as likely as African-American college graduates to attend a classical music performance or the opera. The racial gap in attendance at the ballet is even wider. White college graduates are more than three times as likely as blacks with the same level of education to attend the ballet. White college graduates were also more likely than similarly educated blacks to attend the theater, an art museum, or art fairs. Whites are also more likely to visit historical sites or to read literature.

Copyright © 2008. The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education. All rights reserved.