By E. Richard Walton, Staff Writer, Greenville Online

“Race matters. It makes a difference.”

That’s the message that emerged when a diverse group of 75 people gathered to listen to the results of a “race survey” in Greenville, co-sponsored by Beyond Differences and Greenville Forward. The discussion occurred over lunch today at the Crowne Plaza on Congaree Road.

“One in five respondents says race relations are ‘poor’ or not very good” in Greenville, the survey results revealed.

A second finding: “Whites rate race relations higher than African Americans and the more affluent rate relations higher,” according to the survey. About “95 percent of blacks believe minorities are discriminated against, which is twice the rate of whites,” the survey also found.

More than 800 people of various races took the survey, said Greenville Forward spokesman Russell Stall, who presented the survey.

Stall said the study found that there’s still significant racial “tension” in Greenville.

The one of the goals of the survey is to “provide a view of the racial, cultural and religious perceptions of Greenville in the view of residents of Greenville,” according to Greenville Forward’s Web site.

Stall said cautioned that the survey is a barometer, a guideline. He suggested that there is probably a difference between what Greenvillians think versus how they might behave.

“These are perceptions,” Stall said during the presentation.

Paul Guy, a spokesman for Beyond Differences, said the survey indicates that the community in a sense needs to work on itself. He said the best way to do this is with face-to-face discussions.

“We want to get people to talk to change the face of Greenville,” he said.

One way to do this, Guy said, is to get ministers to talk about the issue of race.

“The church is the first step,” he said.

Religious tension was found to be even higher than racial tension, the survey found.

The meeting and survey is part of a series of discussions and sessions that are planned in the coming months.