Mothers are the most frequently cited influence on how Black Americans view being a Black man or Black woman, with personal relationships cited more often than entertainment or social media, according to a Pew Research Center analysis released Nov. 12.
Sixty-five percent of Black men and 68% of Black women said their mothers influenced those views a great deal or a fair amount. Across the personal connections Pew asked about, 79% of Black men and 83% of Black women identified at least one as an influence at that level.
Family and friends shape views of identity
Fathers, partners, friends and other relatives also figured prominently. Fifty-two percent of Black men and 49% of Black women cited their fathers, while 49% of men and 54% of women cited friends.
Among respondents who were married, living with a partner or in a committed relationship, 50% of men and 57% of women said their spouse or partner influenced their views a great deal or a fair amount. Other family members were cited by 47% of men and 51% of women.
Smaller shares identified religion or religious leaders, at 37% of men and 42% of women, or teachers, at 35% and 36%, respectively.
The questions asked Black men about their views of being a Black man and Black women about their views of being a Black woman. The findings describe respondents’ assessments of influence rather than a test of what caused their views.
Media influence varies by age
Entertainment media, including television, movies and music, were cited as an influence by 36% of Black men and 39% of Black women. Social media followed at 24% and 31%, while podcasts were cited by 16% and 18%.
Overall, 43% of men and 46% of women said at least one of those media types influenced their views a great deal or a fair amount.
Younger adults were more likely to report media influence, particularly from social platforms. Among Black men younger than 50, 29% cited social media, compared with 17% of men ages 50 and older.
The age difference was larger among Black women: 41% of those younger than 50 cited social media, compared with 16% of those 50 and older. Pew noted that younger adults generally use social media more often.
Lessons about responsibility, pride and discrimination
Pew also asked respondents an open-ended question about the most important thing they learned from people who influenced their views of being a Black man or woman.
Answers covered responsibility, integrity, confidence, resilience and pride in Black culture. Other respondents described lessons about discrimination, stereotypes and unequal treatment.
One Black man in his early 70s emphasized caring for people who depend on him, working well and managing responsibilities with integrity. Another, in his late 50s, described pride in Black culture and mutual respect.
A Black woman in her early 20s described her identity through her experiences, aspirations and the women who influenced her, emphasizing the importance of remembering her family’s origins. A woman in her mid-30s described feeling judged through stereotypes rather than seen as an individual.
Those responses are examples selected by Pew to illustrate the range of answers. They do not establish how common each viewpoint was. Pew said it edited the quotations for spelling, punctuation and style.
How the research was conducted
The analysis draws on a survey of 4,271 U.S. Black adults conducted June 16-29, 2025. Participants included 1,057 members of Pew’s American Trends Panel and 3,214 members of SSRS’s Opinion Panel.
Pew says the survey represents the U.S. Black adult population, including people who identify as Black alone or in combination with other races or a Hispanic identity. The national findings do not provide estimates specifically for New York or the Finger Lakes.
The complete analysis was written by Alexandra Cahn, Carolyne Im, Joseph Copeland and Sahana Mukherjee.
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