Local Leaders Question Results of Racism Poll

As a recent poll found Boston residents increasingly optimistic about race relations politicians are questioning the extent to which racism has fled the city known for some of the 1970s most violent racial confrontations.

Many politicians in the city attribute the poll's findings to the attitude of the administration of Mayor Raymond L. Flynn, but others say the change is due mainly to the good economic times in Boston and the fact that many whites live in isolated communities.

The results of the Boston Globe poll, released earlier this month, said that 41% of Boston residents felt race relations had improved, that 37% said they had remained the same, and that 16% said they had worsened.

The poll also found 42% of city residents in favor of bussing and 50% opposed, a change from a 1974 poll's figures of 29% in favor and 63% opposed to bussing.

Yet, while nearly half of those polled said the race situation in Boston had improved over the last five years, the poll found that it was primarily whites who were optimistic, with 44% of the whites polled seeing improvements as compared to only 30% of the Blacks. Of those who felt the situation was worse, 23% were Black and 14% were white.

Peter H. Lemieux '71, a lecturer at Massachusetts Institute of Technology who conducted the poll for the Globe with Professor Gary R. Orren of the Kennedy School, said the optimism of the white community can be attributed to the fact that the whites polled tend to live in isolated communities and do not have "day--to--day" experience with racial questions.

"The optimistic outlook is controversial," he said. "It was interesting in that the people who were most isolated, like those in South and East Boston, thought race relations had improved. Those who were less optimistic lived in mixed racial neighborhoods, like Mattapan or Jamaica Plain."

"The optimism comes from three things," Lemieux said. "With relative judgment things have improved over the past five years, but things are not necessarily good. Also, the city is prosperous by and large, and since things in Boston are better, that tends to moderate people. The whole thing is getting less publicity, too--people aren't getting assaulted with racial violence on the news every day like they used to be."

Some city politicians said Flynn's policies have had little effect on Boston race relations and don't think the situation has been improved substantially.

Melvin H. King, who opposed Flynn in the 1983 mayoral run-off, said, "There has not been much change. Flynn has been reluctant to acknowledge racism as a term. He will try to work around it if it can be done."

Yet other city and state officials said that his policies have played a substantial role in lowering racial tensions.

State Representative Salvatore Di Masi (D-Boston) said the Mayor's leadership and initiative had improved race relations within the city.

"His political leadership has contributed greatly to the lessening of racial tensions. He has implemented more intergrated community activities. Not just schools but also sports and businesses have intergrated teams," Di Masi said.

State Representative Thomas Finneran (D-Boston) also said Flynn's policies had improved racial tensions.

"They have improved with no specific policy but with individual statements of his," Fineran said. "In his Innaugural Address in 1984 Flynn said his administration would not tolerate racial hostility. For a white Irish Catholic to be willing to say that means a lot to the public. It has set a very good, positive tone."