Beyond Black: Biracial Identity in America

by Kerry Ann Rockquemore, David L. Brunsma

Beyond Black is a groundbreaking study of the dynamic meaning of racial identity for multiracial people in post-Civil Rights America. Kerry Ann Rockquemore and David Brunsma document the wide range of racial identities that individuals with one Black and one White parent develop, and they provide a incisive sociological explanation of the choices facing those who are multiracial.

Stemming from the controversy of the 2000 Census and whether an additional "multiracial" category should be added to the survey, this second edition of Beyond Black uses both survey data and interviews of multiracial young adults to explore the contemporary dynamics of racial identity formation. The authors raise even larger social and political questions posed by expanding racial categorization on the U.S. Census.

Genres: Sociology, Race, Nonfiction

220 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2007

Reviews

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book before I became interested in bi- and multiracial research, and even though it's cliche to say this, it changed my life. Before reading the book I was stuck with an understanding of biracial identity as either/or/struggling in the middle. After reading the multiple identities members of the community can take, I began to breathe easier. I didn't feel so alone, and finally had the words to discuss my identity. I now use the book in all research writing I do on bi- and multiracial identity.

[Diana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, a good read that brought together the literature on multiracial identity to answer some provocative questions, specifically "who is Black in America today?" and "who will be Black in America tomorrow?" The book is a little outdated now since it was primarily geared toward what will happen would Multiracial was added as a category in the 2010 census. (Note: my library only had the first edition, but it appears that the 2nd edition was published in 2007?) I also felt the organization made some of the later chapters a bit repetitive and as a quantitative researcher myself, I would have liked to see more detail in how the survey data was used to support some of their conclusions. Finally, I wasn't sure how comfortable I was with the blend of objective, empirical data with not-so-subtle advocacy re: dismantling of the one-drop rule (which indicates that a person with any even small amount of Black heritage should be considered Black). However, Beyond Black... is an informative read for those new to the topic and a useful resource for scholars looking for (one perspective on) the history of research and public opinion about biracial identity.