It's a Good Time To Be a Black Woman in America

It's a good time to be a black woman in America, according to a new nationwide survey conducted by The Washington Post and the Kaiser Family Foundation.

More than 800 black women answered questions for the survey, which follows a 2006 Washington Post study, Being a Black Man, and provides a broad picture of black women's views on careers, racism, marriage and more.

Almost 75 percent of those interviewed say it's a good time to be a black woman in America. Still, half of those surveyed say racism is a “big problem” in the country, and nearly half worry about being discriminated against.

VIDEO: Racial Stereotypes

Several distinctions between black and white women's viewpoints emerged from the study. Forty percent of black women say getting married is very important, for example, compared with 55 percent of white women. More black women (a little more than a fifth) than white women (1 in 20) say being wealthy is very important, but fewer (40 percent) are frequently stressed (51 percent of white women say they are). And, 67 percent of black women describe themselves as having high self-esteem, compared with 43 percent of white women.

Religion and health also emerged as key aspects in the lives of black women: almost 75 percent of black women listed "living a religious life" as very important, and 90 percent said "living a healthy lifestyle" is very important.

NEWS: Racial Bias Broadcast From TV Character to Viewer

Why the focus on black women?

"Black women themselves have been having more conversations about what it means to be a black woman today," says Washington Post reporter Krissah Thompson, who wrote about the poll, on the newspaper's website. "Of course first lady Michelle Obama, just by virtue of being the first black woman in her position, has sparked much of this discussion. And then there’s the disproportionate impact of this recent recession on black women and a raft of fascinating data from the federal government. For example, black women as a group have made major career gains and also are the group least likely to be married. Those data points spark questions and discussion."

Photo Credit: Corbis