The role of racial group solidarity in intergroup relations between Black-White multiracial and Black monoracial people

Abstract

Abstract Across two studies, we examined intergroup relations between Black-White multiracial and Black monoracial people in the U.S. Study 1 showed that Black-White multiracial participants reported more solidarity with Black than White people, but less solidarity with Black people than Black participants reported. Likewise, their race-relevant political attitudes were somewhat more aligned with Black than White participants, but not completely aligned with Black participants. Reflecting this pattern, Black participants perceived that Black-White multiracial people feel more solidarity with Black than White people, but less solidarity with Black people than they themselves feel. Solidarity perceptions were consequential. Both Study 1 (correlational) and Study 2 (experimental) showed that Black participants’ perceptions of Black-White multiracial people’s solidarity with Black people were related to their inclusion of multiracial people. Furthermore, contingent on high levels of solidarity with Black people, multiracial people’s relationships with White people were less consequential for Black participants’ inclusion of them.

Keywords

• Racial solidarity
• Multiracial
• Racial attitudes
• Meta-perceptions
• Intergroup relations