Social Justice & Community
Social psychologist explains historical progress and pitfalls in addressing anti-Black racism
New book applies seven decades of research on race relations and proposes a path forward
Thomas F. Pettigrew taught at UC Santa Cruz from 1979 to 1994 and is a leader in Intergroup Contact Theory. Photo: UCSC Special Collections and Archives
Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Psychology Thomas F. Pettigrew recently released a new book through Oxford University Press that summarizes his esteemed research on race relations from the past seven decades. Pettigrew’s work has been foundational in the development of Intergroup Contact Theory, which argues that meaningful interaction between different social identity groups is key to reducing prejudice.
Pettigrew’s latest book, Anti-Black Racism in America: Is It Declining?, investigates the history of racism across all facets of American society. The book applies insights from social psychology to explain why anti-Black racism has appeared to decline in some realms, such as politics and education, while remaining firmly entrenched in economics, housing, and the justice system. Pettigrew says these outcomes reflect variation across each domain in histories of race, social processes, and structures. And psychology offers key insights for understanding them.
“There are many solid books on American race relations written largely by historians or lawyers, but what’s new about this book is its social psychological basis,” Pettigrew said. “The book addresses these issues using significant insights from social psychology, such as implicit prejudice, racial norms, and the importance of intergroup contact. It also employs a three-level analysis, focusing on the individual, interpersonal, and structural levels, with emphasis upon discrimination and situational norms, as well as prejudice.”
Throughout the book, Pettigrew weaves together research findings with autobiographical recountings of his experiences over the decades, both in studying race relations and in directly participating in major efforts to improve them. Pettigrew hopes the book will inspire others to want to dig deeper into the topic, so he included a recommended reading list of other key books and a bibliography of more than 700 references. His book also outlines a plan to address lingering anti-Black racism through reparations funded by billionaires.
Anti-Black Racism in America is Pettigrew’s 11th and final book, which he is releasing at the age of 94. He first joined the UC Santa Cruz faculty in 1979 and retired from teaching in 1994, though he has continued to publish prolifically.
His hundreds of books and articles have been cited more than 70,000 times. Pettigrew has been a Guggenheim Fellow, a Senior Fulbright Scholar, and a Fellow at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences, the Netherlands Institute for Advanced Study, and Stanford’s Research Institute of Comparative Studies in Race. He has received lifetime achievement awards from six psychological and sociological organizations.