Intraracial Diversity and Relations among African-Americans: Closeness among Black Students at a Predominantly White University

A case study of black college students at a predominantly white liberal arts college is employed to question continuing assumptions in sociological research that blacks represent social, cultural, and economic homogeneity and that intraracial relations are close and without conflict. The article examines the extent to which black students feel close to other black students on campus, rely on one another for need satisfaction and social interaction, and share similar values, experiences, and attitudes. The authors find that the odds of closeness are significantly reduced for biracial students, for black students from low SES backgrounds, and for black students from predominantly white backgrounds. Among biracial students and those from predominantly white environments, social distance reflects their overall distance from the larger black community and is a function of their lack of “racial awareness.” The social distance of low SES students appears specific to the community of black students within the college and is not expressed toward the larger black community. Moreover, feelings of distance appear to be driven by perceived social, cultural, and economic differences from other black students.