"I'm not racist; I have black friends" (variant: "Some of my best friends are black") is a saying which is often employed by white people to justify their claim that they are not

racist Racism is the belief that groups of humans possess different behavioral traits corresponding to inherited attributes and can be divided based on the superiority of one race over another. It may also mean prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism ...

towards

black people Black is a racialized classification of people, usually a political and skin color-based category for specific populations with a mid to dark brown complexion. Not all people considered "black" have dark skin; in certain countries, often in s ...

. The phrase, which gained popularity in the mid-2010s, has since sparked many

internet meme An Internet meme, commonly known simply as a meme ( ), is an idea, behavior, style, or image that is spread via the Internet, often through social media platforms. What is considered a meme may vary across different communities on the Internet ...

s and debates over racial attitudes. Its use in a discussion related to the election of Donald Trump as US president in 2016, on the US television show '' Black-ish'', led to widespread discussion in the media of the "old trope". A 2004 study in ''

Basic and Applied Social Psychology ''Basic and Applied Social Psychology'' (''BASP'') is a bi-monthly psychology Scientific journal, journal published by Taylor & Francis. The journal emphasizes the publication of empirical research articles but also publishes literature reviews, cr ...

'' listed the phrase as a "common laim ofinnocence by association". A 2011 study published in the ''

Journal of Black Studies ''Journal of Black Studies'' is a bimonthly peer-reviewed academic journal that publishes papers in the fields of social sciences and ethnic studies concerning African and African diaspora culture, with particular interest in African-American cultu ...

'' suggested that African Americans were rarely impressed by whites claiming to have "Black friends", and that the claim was more likely to make African Americans think that the person making it was in fact more, not less, prejudiced. The phrase is cited as an instance of "resistance to antiracist thinking", and some suggestions for dismantling the logic of the phrase include "it is like saying there is no such thing as sexism because we all have a close friend or family member who is a woman".

References

{{reflist Anti-black racism Internet memes introduced in the 2010s

See also

References