Roundtable Proposal: Authors Meet Reviewers African Americans’ Racial Resentment Toward Whites: Meaning, Measurement, and Theory

Abstract

For decades now, political scientists and other scholars interested in racial attitudes have keyed in on the construct of racial resentment. According to one theory (Kinder and Sanders 1996) racial resentment combines anti-black affect and beliefs than African Americans violate traditional norms (e.g., hard work) related to individualism. An alternative theory (Wilson and Davis 2011) proposes that racial resentment is the result over frustrations about how race is used to gain unjust advantages and privileges in society. While race is the descriptor for both resentment theories the more accurate characterization is “white” resentment. And, since resentment is not bound to any single racial-ethnic group, it is reasonable to expect that African Americans also hold antagonisms toward Whites.

We propose a panel that combines the presentation of a new and innovative research on “African American” racial resentment with a panel of multiple discussants who would respond to the research. The research would focus on results from multiple studies testing and validating a new African American racial resentment (AARR) scale; and the panel would respond to the research, offering thoughts and comments about the scholarship. The panel would conclude with an open question and answer period.

Presenters David C. Wilson, University of Delaware Darren W. Davis, University of Notre Dame

Panelists Byron D’Aundra Orey, Jackson State University Camille Burge, Villanova University Nyron Crawford, Temple University Vince Hutchings, University of Michigan Cindy Kam, Vanderbilt University