17 Black/White Friendships in a Color-Blind Society

Mixing races, maintaining racism? Considering the connection between interracial families, social distance, and racial inequality

“…For example, one assumption that underpins claims of progressive change is that people who enter into intimate cross‐race relationships, at minimum, do not hold stereotypes about the other group that would prevent dating, courting, and ultimately choosing a mate from that group. Empirical work on the attitudes and motives of those entering intimate interracial relationships, however, does not support the idea that all interracially partnered people lack racism toward their partner's group (Guillén, 2015; Korgen, 2002; Vasquez, 2014).…”

“…Research on close friendship, dating, and marriage all illustrate this point. Whites with best friends who are Black still express anti-Black racism, sometimes describing their best friend as an "exception" to their beliefs about the larger group (Korgen, 2002). Some close cross-race relationships are sustained by avoiding any discussion of race or racial inequality, undermining the idea that such relationships would function to increase understanding between groups (Korgen, 2002).…”

“…Whites with best friends who are Black still express anti-Black racism, sometimes describing their best friend as an "exception" to their beliefs about the larger group (Korgen, 2002). Some close cross-race relationships are sustained by avoiding any discussion of race or racial inequality, undermining the idea that such relationships would function to increase understanding between groups (Korgen, 2002). Perry (2013) does find that Whites who have close cross-race friendships (through their experiences in multiracial religious congregations) are more likely to support the idea of a family member intermarrying, showing that these close cross-race friendships are related to openness to more cross-race relationships.…”