Whites for racial justice: How contact with Black Americans predicts support for collective action among White Americans

Advantaged group members have an important role to play in creating social change, and intergroup contact has tremendous implications in shaping intergroup relations. However, little research has examined how intergroup contact predicts advantaged group members’ inclinations toward collective action...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Group processes & intergroup relations 2018-09, Vol.21 (6), p.893-912
Main Authors: Selvanathan, Hema Preya, Techakesari, Pirathat, Tropp, Linda R., Barlow, Fiona Kate
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
African Americans
Anger
Black Lives Matter movement
Black white relations
Change agents
Collective action
Convictions
Disadvantaged
Efficacy
Empathy
Ethics
Group identity
Guilt
Intergroup contact
Intergroup relations
Psychological aspects
Racial justice
Social change
Social contact
Social justice
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Summary:Advantaged group members have an important role to play in creating social change, and intergroup contact has tremendous implications in shaping intergroup relations. However, little research has examined how intergroup contact predicts advantaged group members’ inclinations toward collective action to support the interests of disadvantaged groups. The present research investigates how contact with Black Americans shapes White Americans’ willingness to engage in collective action for racial justice and support for the Black Lives Matter movement. Three studies of White Americans (total N = 821) consistently reveal that positive contact with Black Americans predicts greater support for collective action through a sequential process of fostering greater feelings of empathy for Black Americans and anger over injustice. These findings hold even when taking into account other relevant psychological factors (i.e., White guilt and identification, negative contact, group efficacy, and moral convictions). The present research contributes to our understanding of how advantaged group members come to engage in social change efforts.
ISSN:1368-4302
1461-7188
DOI:10.1177/1368430217690908