Are Interracial Marriages the Solution to Racism?
Mohit Nair, Good Men Project, July 31, 2017
Credit Image: Robin Rayne Nelson/ZUMAPRESS.com
Interracial marriages are a very tempting solution to racism. Fight hate with love, and all will be good in the world. Let’s change the world one interracial relationship at a time. If only it were that simple . . .
The idea that increasing interracial marriages and exposure to other cultures will reduce racism is very similar to the notion that increased trade and globalization will reduce war. It holds true to an extent.
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Racism is messy and complicated. Interracial marriages and their acceptance by society is definitely an indicator of our progress toward racial justice, but it is by no means a therapeutic solution to the worst kinds of racism. We still have work left to do, and systemic problems require systemic approaches: ensuring that our history books are not white-washed and children grow up critically thinking about systems of power, ensuring that law enforcement and judicial authorities are trained and aware of implicit biases, ensuring that hospitals are aware of health inequities between different demographics accessing care, ensuring that perverse laws and regulations that systematically discriminate against historically silenced groups are overturned, among others. We must continue to fight for policies that are oriented toward reducing inequities and promoting justice, even as we continue to fight hate with love.
