North Carolina Latinos, Blacks Forge Alliances Amid Racism

Recent research and reporting highlight evolving dynamics in American race relations. In North Carolina, the growing Latino population has fostered unexpected alliances and solidarity with Black communities, especially in the face of shared experiences of discrimination. Social psychologist Thomas F. Pettigrew's new book underscores how meaningful intergroup contact can reduce prejudice, while also noting that anti-Black racism persists in areas like economics and justice despite progress in politics and education. Meanwhile, Black communities are engaging in strategic, multifaceted resistance against rollbacks of civil rights, using economic, legal, and organizational power to effect change. These developments challenge simplistic narratives of racial conflict and passivity, demonstrating both the complexity and adaptability of marginalized groups in the U.S.