When it comes to selecting a nominee for president this year, women of color who are Democrats say they are more concerned about integrity, leadership ability and experience than they are about race and gender, according to a recent Spelman College survey.

The report, which explores the political interest and mindsets of minority females, showed that less than 10 percent of black, Hispanic, Asian/Pacific Islander and Native American female Democrats say that race or gender is a primary motivator of selecting the next presidential candidate. Only 2.7 percent said race for a primary motivator and only 6 percent said their decision for support was based on gender.

"Contrary to the sensational headlines, this survey shows that minority women are looking beyond the surface of race and gender," said Jane E. Smith, Ed. D., executive director of LEADS at Spelman College, a leadership development center for women.
 
"Since freedom, when we look at the context of our struggle in the black community, we ask who will lead for us. Today, leadership still is a primary concern for women of color," Smith said.

"The individuals who participated in the survey were saying, 'Given this war, this economy, the issues around international development, urban environment, I have to find the absolute right person. We are in high water. Thank goodness my choices include a black man.Thank goodness my choice includes a woman,'" Smith said.

The study surveyed 905 women voters across the country who vote Democratic, Smith said. Of that number, 305 were black, 300 were Hispanic and 300 were Asian/Pacific Islander and Native American.
 
While women place a strong emphasis on leadership, the study did confirm what other polls have shown -- black women are more likely to select Obama, while Hispanics and other minority women prefer Clinton.

The survey also showed:

• 6.7 percent of Obama supporters said they would vote for him because he is black, while 20.6 percent of Clinton supporters said they would vote for her because she is a woman.
• 51 percent of Clinton supporters say experience is the reason they would vote her, while 21 percent of Obama supporters said he is the best candidate who represents change.
• 13.4 percent of Obama supporters said they believe he understands the issues, while only 9.4 percent of Clinton supporters said she understands the issues.
• Clinton received the highest marks for understanding the challenges and experiences of women, but more Obama supporters said that he will address the concerns of all people.
• 4.7 percent of Obama supporters said he has a better chance of winning the presidential election in November, compared to 3.8 percent of Clinton supporters, who said they believe she can win.

Sharon Childs Long, a bank vice president in Birmingham, Alabama, said she was torn between Obama and Clinton when she went to the polls in February. "But I wasn't torn because of race or gender. I was torn because their positions are quite similar on the issues I was concerned about" she said. Long prefers not to reveal her candidate choice in the primary.

For her, trust is an important factor to consider in selecting a president. "I need to feel that I can rely on the candidate's position on issues that are communicated to me," she said. "When he or she says it's red, I need to be confident that it is not just a political answer."

While women of color may not make their decisions at the polls based on race or gender, those characteristics may come into play when assessing trust, said Melanie Campbell, executive director of the National Coalition for Black Civic Participation.

"What he or she says about race or what they are not saying about race is part of the discussion I hear," Campbell said. "Black women voters want to be able to trust how a candidate handles race and gender."

Black women, she said, are leading the increase in voting during the current campaign season. "Historically, women have voted more than men, with the exception of elections immediately following the Million Man March," she said. "In 2004, black women accounted for 58 percent of the black vote."

Because so many women of color are responsible for themselves and their families, they will continue to show up in large numbers at the polls, observers said. Across the country, these women are faced daily with issues of healthcare, housing and the economy, Smith said.

"They are looking for leadership," she said.