The Reality, Relevance, and Reckoning of Black College Women’s Friendships Across Race

The promotion of cross-racial relationships on college campuses has been arduous in a society that is shaped by a long history of racial inequities and racially segregated educational experiences. In this exploratory investigation of the cross-racial relationships of Black college-aged women, we considered the results of two focus groups composed of Black women undergraduates (N = 19). We identified three themes: (a) significance of race and other shared identities in structuring friendships; (b) fighting stereotypes, and (c) reckoning with the wounds of racism. Through the lens of relational cultural theory, we examine these themes as starting points for understanding cross-racial student relationships.