THE EFFECT OF CHILDHOOD INTERRACIAL CONTACT ON ADULT ANTIBLACK PREJUDICE

Since the mid-1950s, and through both formal and informal means, Ameri can government has strived to promote tolerance and equality between r aces. Among the most obvious of these strategies have been policies an d laws promoting desegregation in schools, neighborhoods, and elsewher e. Designed to provide equal access to education and shelter, they als o allowed greater interracial contact in a sanction-free environment, ostensibly with the goal of promoting greater racial tolerance. It was believed that equal-status contact, particularly during the formative years, would engender more positive racial attitudes among young pers ons that would endure into adulthood. We test this assumption on 292 w hite adults participating in the 1991 Oklahoma City Survey. Findings s how that childhood interracial contact in schools and neighborhoods no t only disconfirms negative racial stereotypes, but has a direct, sign ificant effect on levels of adult antiblack prejudice even controlling for other relevant factors. Results suggest continued support for the desegregation of American schools and neighborhoods as a means of pro moting more positive racial attitudes through interracial contact.