The Average White American Has Almost No Black Friends, Depressing Research Finds
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The news: It's not uncommon for white people to deflect accusations of racism with the cry, "I'm not racist – I have black friends!"
Yet according to new data, "friends" is an overstatement. Christopher Ingraham of the Washington Post has assembled a graph illustrating how many black friends the average white American actually has, citing research from Robert P. Jones of the Public Religion Research Institute.
The number? Try "one."
One. Black. Friend.
How it breaks down: Writing at the Atlantic, Jones claims a staggering 75% of white Americans have zero minority presence in their social circles.
Those with some fare just slightly better: On top of the black friend, average whites claim one Hispanic friend, an Asian or Pacific Islander, one each of "mixed" or "other" background, and three "don't knows" (meaning they're probably not actually your friends).
The study calculates these figures per 100. All told, it indicates an average white friend group that's an astounding 91% white.
Jones suggests "self-segregation," or that whites limit their social interactions – especially discussions of "important matters" – to other white people. This is different among blacks and Hispanics, albeit just slightly: 65% of black Americans report having only blacks friends, while just 46% of Hispanics have only Hispanic friends.
Black Americans on average claim eight white friends, two Latinos, zero Asians, three "mixed," one "other" and four unknowns. Ingraham adds elements like population count to the mix – i.e. there are more white people in America overall, therefore it follows that a person would have more white friends – in addition to "self-segregation," or "sorting," among blacks.
But both writers miss an important factor: Actual segregation.
Geographical divides between white and black Americans are a defining characteristic of most U.S. cities. What's more, it's intentional: Decades of discriminatory housing policy and concentrated poverty imposed by the government have ensured large numbers of black people stay as isolated from mainstream society as possible.
Color-coded map of Chicago, Ill./Image Credit: Flickr via Business Insider (Key: red = white, blue = black, orange = Hispanic, green = Asian, yellow = other)
White flight exacerbates matters, while racist hiring practices ensure workplaces remain similarly divided. All things considered, it's no surprise that "it's so hard for whites to understand [police violence in] Ferguson," or other race related topics, to quote the Atlantic.
The takeaway: In a trailer for the upcoming film Dear White People, radio host Samantha White (Tessa Thompson) opines sarcastically, "The minimum requirement of black friends needed to not seem racist has just been raised to two."
She may be more right than she knows. The statistical accuracy of her statement is a primary reason for nationwide gaps in understanding around racial issues, especially among white people -- a sign that America still has a ways before reaching the "post-racial" status so many desire.
Yet according to new data, "friends" is an overstatement. Christopher Ingraham of the Washington Post has assembled a graph illustrating how many black friends the average white American actually has, citing research from Robert P. Jones of the Public Religion Research Institute.
The number? Try "one."
One. Black. Friend.
How it breaks down: Writing at the Atlantic, Jones claims a staggering 75% of white Americans have zero minority presence in their social circles.
Those with some fare just slightly better: On top of the black friend, average whites claim one Hispanic friend, an Asian or Pacific Islander, one each of "mixed" or "other" background, and three "don't knows" (meaning they're probably not actually your friends).
The study calculates these figures per 100. All told, it indicates an average white friend group that's an astounding 91% white.
Jones suggests "self-segregation," or that whites limit their social interactions – especially discussions of "important matters" – to other white people. This is different among blacks and Hispanics, albeit just slightly: 65% of black Americans report having only blacks friends, while just 46% of Hispanics have only Hispanic friends.
Black Americans on average claim eight white friends, two Latinos, zero Asians, three "mixed," one "other" and four unknowns. Ingraham adds elements like population count to the mix – i.e. there are more white people in America overall, therefore it follows that a person would have more white friends – in addition to "self-segregation," or "sorting," among blacks.
But both writers miss an important factor: Actual segregation.
Geographical divides between white and black Americans are a defining characteristic of most U.S. cities. What's more, it's intentional: Decades of discriminatory housing policy and concentrated poverty imposed by the government have ensured large numbers of black people stay as isolated from mainstream society as possible.
Color-coded map of Chicago, Ill./Image Credit: Flickr via Business Insider (Key: red = white, blue = black, orange = Hispanic, green = Asian, yellow = other)
White flight exacerbates matters, while racist hiring practices ensure workplaces remain similarly divided. All things considered, it's no surprise that "it's so hard for whites to understand [police violence in] Ferguson," or other race related topics, to quote the Atlantic.
The takeaway: In a trailer for the upcoming film Dear White People, radio host Samantha White (Tessa Thompson) opines sarcastically, "The minimum requirement of black friends needed to not seem racist has just been raised to two."
She may be more right than she knows. The statistical accuracy of her statement is a primary reason for nationwide gaps in understanding around racial issues, especially among white people -- a sign that America still has a ways before reaching the "post-racial" status so many desire.
Comments
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This isn't shocking at all. What do u expect from them?
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I don't have anywhere close to that many friends
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I understand the social implications but why would you want to be friends with whites anyway?
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This shouldn't be surprising at all....
also...why would u want to keep the company of someone who doesn't want u around? -
Damn y'all got a lotta friends. I can count the number of people I consider to be friends on my hands.
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**Has no white friends post**
So what's the big deal??? -
hahaha i love how the statistics show that whites have 1 token friend of each race
tolerate just enough to not be labelled a racist and...
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Why is this research considered to be "depressing"?
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I understand the social implications but why would you want to be friends with whites anyway?
I fully expect you and Six to have nothing but black owned products in your inventory. From your mattress to the jeans you wear. Is being militant an online gimmick thing or your real nature?
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Change the thread title or die boy
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Let me get this straight...
'minimum requirement of black friends needed to not seem racist has just been raised to two'
Why don't you just ask people white people to walk on water next.
(INB4 white people in Chicago move to living on platforms on Lake Michigan.) -
I know damn well I have more than 8 white homies, but I never fuccin counted they ass 1 by 1 who does that type ? ?
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I have 4!
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I am the only white person aneed123 follows on IG.
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I'm breaking barriers with my 2 asian friends.
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who gives a ? ? im sure the average black person dont have any white friends either. I know I sure as hell don't
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i have 4 asian friends lol.
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Who except for you butt hurt losers ever uses the word "militant?" Find a post where I said I was "militant."I understand the social implications but why would you want to be friends with whites anyway?
I fully expect you and Six to have nothing but black owned products in your inventory. From your mattress to the jeans you wear. Is being militant an online gimmick thing or your real nature?
I'LL WAIT.......Exactly...now ? you emotionally distraught ? fly.
You cave monkeys and your pathetically fragile egos. A black man/woman doesn't give a ? about you or your friendship and you immediately go insane start padding your walls (no, not your apartment walls...your vaginal walls you nagging ? .)
? outta here wit your Beyonce ass emotions, "WHY DONT YOU LOVE MEEEEE!? WHEN I MADE MY RACE SO EASY TO LOOOVE?" ass crackas man. Die twice u ? germ. -
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Who except for you butt hurt losers ever uses the word "militant?" Find a post where I said I was "militant."I understand the social implications but why would you want to be friends with whites anyway?
I fully expect you and Six to have nothing but black owned products in your inventory. From your mattress to the jeans you wear. Is being militant an online gimmick thing or your real nature?
I'LL WAIT.......Exactly...now ? you emotionally distraught ? fly.
You cave monkeys and your pathetically fragile egos. A black man/woman doesn't give a ? about you or your friendship and you immediately go insane start padding your walls (no, not your apartment walls...your vaginal walls you nagging ? .)
? outta here wit your Beyonce ass emotions, "WHY DONT YOU LOVE MEEEEE!? WHEN I MADE MY RACE SO EASY TO LOOOVE?" ass crackas man. Die twice u ? germ.
? outta here with my Beyonce emotions but yet your sashay attitude indicates that you clearly cannot carry out a discussion without reacting like a 5 year old boy who can't express himself when I showed no ill intent in my post. You react with negative energy yet I'm the cave monkey but you respond like a untamed animal?
All day long you talk about black this and black that. I wonder, are you really this militant in your actual life. Yes, I called you militant because where I'm from, a man is defined by his words and actions. Your actions on this site state you're a militant. So do you go about preaching this same rhetoric around people you deal with? Do you strictly not deal with whites? Do you buy only black products? -
Now that I think about it I don't have any white friends.
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Black people - 0 asian friends
White People - too many asian friends lol -
One of my bestfriends is white, and thats the only white mf I considered a friend in rl (@loucypher's my brother from another mother) since High School. With that being said, I keep a small circle, so there's not too many blacks or latino's I consider friends either.
